The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-07

Tas discussion o. tss question as 20
xaezner o. not IA traps Should be sOci-
LSa-6. las brozgat CIT Sua5cisEt OF TIRE
faess connected with the matter % rAks
q appare-t tazt any haS,y legislation up
Of TIE subject may result in q very seq
sCus Injury 20 :ae material Interests o.
the rate. TIE controversy between the
ret nsasrnen ard those xao have thar
ca yltal invested IN trspz Ass been 3 beat
&c one. and az usual n s2ca controversies.
tnsrs are mary fat contradictions made
on both secs. From oat o. ths waole mass
OF letters Ep0n the subject the following
fsets can BE collected SIS standing Eneoz-
rra6lcteG. There are II thls state, bath On
the Columbia river and 81 the country
bordering upon Pagst soGnd. many hEn-
areds q doEars invested in ash traps. and
IN the various appliances connected there
VITA. and there Is an equally large or stu
larger amount % money invested n can
nerles- There are also several thousand
people WHO make their living IL whoas Or
IN part cut Of the Utilization Of these
tTapS
TIE Bin 70 forbid the further use Of fish
.rape vii necessarily render va1uslsss the
trags themselves. and X = also asserted
Out this - eontradlczed) that II VII Ike
2e render valueless a large number Of
the present e&anery psantz- IL wiz Ger
tafnlT deprive q large number Of ns1.
several thousand II Is alleged. Of their
present means Of subsistence TaAs much
IA certain 70 follow the adoption OF TIE
proposed law Il = certainly not asking
too nuoh Of the present legislature 70 re-
quest them. before passing any act which
xla deprive y large number Of the citizens
% washington OF their property. and
very rnueh larger number OF fhsir nleans
OF subsistence. 70 take 10 action IN TIE
matter until a thorough and complete in
vestlgatloa Of the fisheries business -
had.
The Post-Intatl izencsr has No desire 10
take SIDES in this controversy. IL apprs-
elatas the fact that the net fishermen
have. or thlnk they have. grievances
against the trap owners. whether TIE
grievances are a. substantial as the net
fishermen believe. = largely matter q
opinson, on which disiutsTested expert tes-
timony would have 20 be taken, and no
such testimony Is available. But one fact
Stands oct in tie entire controversy.
whlch Is taat Washington citizens have
invested fortunes ia a business urder ths
protection CT existing laws, and that the
immediate repeal CT those laws would
render absolutely v2luelsss those invest
neuts. sne deprive hundreds OF families
OF thelr living. The emergency must bs IN
dsea great. ans the Abuse fragrant, which
would warrant. in times such az theae,
the passage Of AZ act whica woa.d carry
WITH Il sach widespread rain and distress.
The people who are interested "a ths
trap fisheries and TIE e&nrsry men whe
have ADDRESSED letters 20 tee p0sf-Intes,.-
genesr upon the subject. have each united
In one request. waich the legislature mos,
certainly ought 70 Aee6- They have each
and az asked that bsf3rs any legislation
hs had upon TIE subject ths legislature
thoroughly iUvesaEate Tie matter, and
that az tie places waere TIE traps are To-
Gated. u would be an outrage 70 act hast
Hy IN tha matter. and without sueA In
vest.gaton-