The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-01-18
SHELTON MASON COUNTY WASHINGTON. FRIDAY JANUARY IS 1896
Time For a Change.


promoting the schemes of Oregon t,
absorb the lions share or every govern
ment appropriation. The Trade Reg
lister notes that the present legislature
is to be worked to strengthen the holt
OF Oregon on the fishing industry o
the northwest, and for one we propost
to give the subject an airing. Thi:
state needs to have it interests pro
tected by brains and energy at tn,
national as well as state capital OF
or Oregon will not leave Us enough O
any appropriation to grease the axle.
OF the officials who work for the fellow
with the strongest pull.
A fish hatchery bill is to come up al
Olympia, as usual in the interest ol
the Columbia river and Oregon, and
Senator j. G. Megler will present it
Puget Sound representatives want to
keep their eyes open and walk in the
middle of the road when the fish in.
dustry is in question. 1t is too i'm.
portant to be trifled with, and with
this warning there can be no excuse
on the score of ignorance. We propose
to speak few words on this question
IN the interests of Puget Sound that
will bear remembrance.
Congress has appropriated $4,000 tc
be expended in protecting and pro.
noting the fish industry of Washing
ton and Oregon, and this amount
through the overpowering influence oil
Oregon senators is expended by Com
missioner Crawford of Portland on the
Columbia river. 1t is notorious fact
that, while the fish interests of Puget
Sound and Grays Harbor are five times
as important as those of the Columbia
river, yet the commissioner has ex-
pended less than S400 of the SIS, 100 on
Puget Sound and Gray's Harbor where
so much is at stake in this important
industry of our state.
The greater part of the $400 has
been absorbed as travelling expenses
or salary by Deputy Fish Commission
er J. A. Gale. The balance of the ST.
900 is used up by Commissioner Craw-
ford and his two deputies for the Col
umbia river. While we in no wise re-
fleet On the integrity or ability OF
deputy Gale, it is a notorious fact that
the fishing laws are daily set at naught
IN this district, and of several hundred
complaints forwarded through him by
fish dealers on Puget Sound to Com
missioner Crawford, not any have been
replied to or corrected. Not even is
there assurance given of possible redress
We will cite two instances of in
fringement of the laws First, sal
mon trout are sold out of season, and
no amount of complaint will lead to
steps to prevent the sales. Next, when
sold in season they are disposed of at
less than the prescribed length.
Besides this, when salmon are not to
be disposed of for immediate con-
sumption, it is asserted that tney are
taken to the canneries by the hum
dreds to be chopped up and canned so
that the faint is not discernable. If
this be permitted to continue the re-
putation of our canneries will be
jeopardized abroad the same as the
Canadian lobster canneries,. which
now have the reputation of putting up
immature, discolored and doctoied
goods, detrimental TO health.
The Trade Register wishes to call
the attention of all parties interested
to the fact that all the laws now on
the statue books touching the fish in
dustrv of the northwest are in the in
terests of Oregon and the Columbia
river and do not apply to Puget
Sound. It is high time to make q
move to have this effectually changed.
Puget Sound and Grays Harbor have
five times the varieties OF fish and
fishing interests that the Columbia
river has, and it is due to us that we
have the larger share of the appro-
priations and fish commissioner and
deputies independent of Oregon domi-
nation or manipulation. We suggest
that steps lie taken to have the district
and appropriation fairly divided, and
officials appointed who will find it to
their interests to enforce the laws and
make the necessary expenditures
toward improving our improving our
impo. tant fish industry.-Trade
Register.
THE King OF Corea has turned up
missing. China and Japan are still
fighting over his domain. He proba-
bly concluded it was best to get out