The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-03-17

ADJOURNMENT IN SIGHq
Leader Derousse Introduces
a Resolution, Naming
Friday, the 26th.
NEW MEN WANT TO HANG ON
- DC A0F
But the Final Rush to Complete
the Work of the Session
Has Set In.
NEW MEN WANT TO HANG ON
specias to the Jersey Cgtp Ne,rs.

TRENTON. March IL, 1Sq7.-The first
definite signs of fnal adjournment app
peared at the opening of yesterday after
moons session. For some days there has
been mnch talk to the effect that the
Legislature would adjourn on March 26,
and Leader Derousse offered a concur
REM resolution to that effect. There was
much opposition from the new members
especially. Mr.. Klink was most siren
uous in his objections. He said that
it was too soon for the resolution, and
that if adopted it would cause, unusual
excitement and confusion in which many
good measures would be lost. Beside, he
said, there was a large number of inn
portant measures which had just been
brought in and the House should have
time to consider them. Mr.. Derousse
told Mr.. Klink that when he had had
more experience in legislative matters he
would learn that no matter when final
adjournment came there was always con-
fusion and excitement at the end, and
many good measures were lost in the
rush. There was some other opposition
expressed and then, on motion of Mr..
Gledhill, the resolution went over to Mon
day night.
The afternoon session of the House
was taken up with a long discussion of
Mr.. Scovel's bib, which provides that the
meshes in pound nets shall be three
inches instead of two, and tina the peck
cts shall be put down on June l instead
OF May i as now. 1t also proves that
the poundmen should pay a tax. Mr..
Seovel explained the measure and insist
ed that the State should derive a revenue
from the ~poundlnen for the monopoly
h enjoyed. The bill protected the fish
as the smaller mesh allowed the small
Hsh to escape to see when they had a
chance to grow. In opposing the meas
ure Mr.. Brown of Monmouth said that
the bill, If adopted, would destroy the
fishing industry and would ruin the poor
fishermen who have invested their money
in pounds. The industry, he said. repre-
sented about 100000. The pounds were
they do not interfere with fishing in the
bays n inlets along the coast. Mr..
Brown also objected to the provision of
h bill which forbids the setting out of
the pounds before June 1, OF the ground
that such a restriction would prevent the
fishermen from catching shad and bass.
The bill was favored by Mr.. Ebie be-
cause It would give the State more reve-
nue. and would prevent the determination
of food fish.
Mr.. Thorne opposed the bill because the
pounds claimed made it possible for the
poor to buy fish at four cents per mound.
A'As 1lG dL1o IL lZN-
rousse also opposed the measure, Mr..
Derousse saying that one might as we'll
expect to dip the ocean dry with a tin
ladle as to expect to exterminate the fish
in the sea with pounds. Mr.. Porter fav-
ored the bill earnestly. 1t was prepared
by the Fish and Game Commissioners,
he said, and it was demanded by a ma
jority of the fishermen along the coast.
Eminent authorities had declared EN-
phatically that the pound fisheries would
in a few years deplete the ocean of food
fishes. At one time it was said that the
million of buffaloes on the planes could
not be exterminated, but now a buffalo
was a rarity. The same was true of the
forests of Michigan. The fishermen at
S~eabright had been ruined by pound
fishing and the line and hook men have
been obliged TO sell their little homes
and move away. 1t was true that the
supply of fish last year was above the
Der of pound nets We're increased fully
300 per cent. last summer. The pounds,
he declared. have kept thousands of
visitors away from the seaside resorts
every summer because the look and line
fishing had been destroyed. Oftentimes,
he declared, the poundmen sent to the
large cities decomposed fish which had
been smothered in the crowded pounds.
The bill was opposed by Mr.. Reid of
Monmouth, who denied that the pounds
| were responsible for the scarcity of fish.
A majority of the people of Monmouth
favored the pounds and their wishes
should be respected.
The debate continued until Mr.. Minch
| moved the previous question, and the
bill was lost by a vote of rs to 81.