St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-12
FISH LICENSE FIGHT.
1t Occupies the Game and Fish Com
mfssiOn,sz Attention..


The state game and fish commission
is wrestling with the problem of dis
tributing the licenses for fishing on
Lake Of the Woods, and as there are
applicants for many more licenses than
the commission is allowed to issue,
under the law, the result is general
scrimmage for advantage. The law
provides that there must be at least
$500 feet between the strings, and at
least five miles between the nets of
one company or individual licensed and
those Of the others. This gives room
for from 200 to 240 nets, though the
number last year was 2S0. There are
applications in for about 300 licenses.
The principal companies seeking
licenses are the Cooperative Fish COM
pany and the Lake of the Woods Fish
company, the former being a CONSOLE
dation Of the Baltimore Packing COM
pany, the Sandusky Fish company and
the Minnesota Fish company, each OF
which Is entitled to a license for fifty
nets under the law, making 100 in all.
The Lake of the Woods company is
composed chiefly of Canadians. Last
year this company took out forty
licenses, but was given space for only
fifteen nets. Allowing 1T forty again
this year brings the total up to 100,
which leaves at the outside, only
space for fifty nets Of individuals and
small companies. Talk of leaving the
Lake of the Woods company out alto
gether this year is raising quite
storm, and number Of residents on
this side of the line are. down here to
do what they can against such an
action. These people claim that while
the company is composed mostly or
Canadians, 1t employs citizens of the
United States as it's workingmen al
most exclusively and buys much or its
supplies on this side, whereas the other
companies bring their supplies largely
from the other side They claim it is
a scheme on the part of the American
companies to secure monopoly of the
business.
They urge further that the Canadian
company has established plant on
this side at an expense of $4,000 that
will be practically worthless II the
company is refused license. On the
other hand, it is argued that there
must be a decrease in the number or
nets or else the supply Of fish will be
exhausted in a very short time. 1t ap-
pears that the lower end Of the lake is
where the fish congregate, and this is
the ground on which all the fishermen
seek to get established. SO that 1T is
hard for any fish coming in there to
escape the vast number Of nets.
The commission began it's session
yesterday morning in the Office of
President Undertake, in the Fire and
Marine building. The forenoon was
devoted to routine business, and in the
afternoon all the different applicants
for licenses were allowed to come be-
fore the commission one at a time and
present their claims. A few remain to
be heard today, and then the COM
mission will decide the matter. The
license fee is $40 for each net.
A. F.. Ferris, who was forced to re-
sign from the commission under the
decision in the Sutton case, was sue
ceeded as treasurer by Fred Won
Baumbach, Of Alexandria, and G. S.
Benson, who succeeds Mr.. Ferris, as a.
member of the board, was elected sec
rotary. Mr.. Ferris report showed that
the commission had received s23,659.SO
from the state and expended 23,564.34
including the S12, 900 allowed by the last
legislature toipaysup the old indebted
ness. The report was, accepted and
the account closed . en