The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-14
The Fishing Industry.

The Fishing Industry.
From the best sources OF informat ton ~
my command I am clearly Of opinion that
the law should. within a reasonable limit
OF time. prohibit utterly all fish traps,
wheels and other stationary gear as
means OF catching fisF In the waters
ington As a means OF revenue TO the
state II is probable that an annual tax
imposed upon each boat engaged IN nsh-
ing should be collected. This would more
than Offset the amount now collected
The following extract from the message
OF Gov. sylvester Pennoyer 20 the iegis-
lature OF Oregon for the year 1888. IS here
included and endorsed:
Salmon fishing has for years been one
OF the most rrominent industries OF Ore
gon. and the legislature should provide
by law against Its complete destruction Dy
the greed OF those al present engaged IN
It. When the industry was first estat-
Hshea gsil nets were alone employed. vith
uaeshes sufficiently large so that the
smaller salmon were allowed 70 pass an
disturbed. Within the last few years.
however traps and feb wheels have been
brought into quite general use. and sal
mon % all sizes and by the ton. have
been caught by then. This has seriously
tuferfered with gill net fishing. which
ser-,erit- gave errr,Iovment % large
number q brave men. who piled this call
ing with their Gil nets, manned at the
peril Of their Ives Only ~ haa taeTn-
owners 81 FISH traps and wheels. Who IN
a savorab'a locality and without danger.
rauzht hundreds 81 fish 10 the poor FISH
ergnau's one. Against the monopoly or
fsh traps ard FISH wheels and the whole
ssfe destruction % FISH. and as a conse-
cueuoe tie ultimate extinction % this
rraat Industry tie attention % the last
thrae legislatures nas been directed Ia
vain.
renewed To aIlow any owner Of n favor
- locality the privilege that cannot %
ere~rESad bV other citizens, % erecting
Neh ,rars or asn wheels. thereby secur-
zens cannot. IS = monopoly that snould
no longer - tolerated We boast ~ 0ur
free government. ard q cur equal iawra-
ara vet wa ere permitting = monopoly
frzt no TI7on2rcficAt cover meet - ne
fa7s a the earth allows II TIE Magua
Cvharta granted by King john 4. p GGl&
4. - ssfrtsfatef that AL kY8esis tweirSl
- IRE future shall - quite removed cut
81 th@ Thames ard the Midway. and
throughout England TBS guarantee
sres rerewes u the frat. second and
fhfrs charters d King Henry the Third
anA "A that of King Edward TIE First,
srA wns really = fragment Of TIRE old
s.-nrnrn iaw whseh prevented any person
srosa supxopFfsting 70 themselves a N$h-
~ o. the rivers which were deemed
.s--~~uar1 property. Every rIbtt, river
= ~ Coke declared 20 hA tes kfnxs high
w.v which could not - privately osscu-
go Kvae-s we're dams having a mar
-nw cut ir them. ard Furnished with
vgharss or traps for catching fSS- Il WIN
shs.s - s~%- fnst this ra5uop1sF. w5lfeh n
xS-~sz~s was destroyed nearly rst& yesrs
49, = fnHrsshtzsE eet&Etly ~ TIE AsttAr
49, ~ ia nineteenth century 81 this
r--~.-z whf-A Boasts os it, @1s2ai iaws.
I,af al fish traps. Snse.s AIS SeiE%z -
: Fs.fS~easf s-crt lre arE ssantzk - s5A nefE
zasne ARD then a. citizens have an @1@al
ehzzrre. All the wessezzAe destruction *