The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-08

A zsest az TIE Butter oAEAhe TIE NcsA-
re noticed tne interview OF = J. Sn4Nn-
the gentleman WHO presided az lat4
rne..fng u nsnermen. and vas somewhat
surnrss@<s mat Mr. Smith had quoted hira
= SAVING that "the inevitable result o.
.rsvy< x0,1la - the determination 81 SAL
mon and that the only thing owners
couid do to protect themselves was 10 e.
tah.ish fund for operating Ane main
tanning harcaeries for the propagation o.
salmon" Mr. Lord denies having made
such remarks 70 Mr.. Smith or 70 any otn-
ar person, and furthermore, says he does
not know Mr. Smith. Referring 20 the
determination o. salmon. Mr.. Lord says
II e tud.sputahsy a fact that fishermen
ard eanneryrnsn want al the FISH they
can get but 4 thousand fish taken from
tire water By means o. traps does not de-
crease the source OF supply any more
than should a thousand FISH De taken BY
gtu-nets. Continuing. Mr.. Lord sad:
~ there = am unnecessary destruction
or nsh BY any Of the fishing appliances.
il must De admitted BY all that ssines are
the most destructive The tons OF rsh de-
stroved BY traps, Of which Mr.. Smith
speaks must be the dogish snd toun-
ders for which there Is no market, al
though parties are arranging 10 handle
this product by erecting an oil and guano
factory near the larger canneries. Mr..
Smith could not possibly have referred 70
sockeyes for the price paid sIll-nstters
and seiners on the American side last
season averaged fully - cents And Il, as
Mr. Smith states, the traps caught more
FISH than could De used. how Is IL that
such q price as "A and Is cents was paid
these much abused giil-nettsrs? As
matter OF fact. and / challenge Mr. Smith
or any other person 20 contradict this
statement. not more than 99.0oe sockeyes
IN all were caught in American waters
by gill-nstters, and these were nearly al
caught on the west side Of Point Roberts.
where during s heavy freshet the muddy
waters Of the Fraser extended, but this
was only when the strong eob tides
brought the muddy waters out that far.
The % COO Ash referred TO would only oe
a fair days work for our cannery. Unless
there is a repetition OF that freshet the
coming year. not even that number Will
b caught.
There Is absolutely no truth In the
statement that '2000 or s.o0o American
fishermen now go each season TO the Fra
ser with their g1N-nets.' The British law
does not permit this. A license must be
paid by each fisherman. and none bat
resident British subjects are permitted
20 take out licenses. This law is rigldly
enforced four fish guardians being EN-
river and adjacent waters with steamers,
and all infringers of the law are harshly
dealt with. But even If the British law
did permit Americans 10 fish in British
waters, and our 2e00 or 5000 American
fishermen did now go 10 the Fraser, how
is ID that Mr.. Smith has the erfrontery 20
claim. on the other hand. that 1000 or
more British boats last season hsaed at
Point Roberts? II IL is profitable for 2.eoa
or 5000 Americans TO go 10 the Fraser 10
fish. why should the 100 Britishers come
to the American side? But Mr.. Smith
again shows his ignorance Of fishing laws
when he claims this. as British gear Is
not allowed 10 be used in American wat
ers. A customs officer Is stationed at
Point Roberts 10 prevent this and last
season made several seizures
Il am perhaps not altogether familiar
with the earnings OF gill-netters, but as
Mr.. Smith says they last season cleared
from SEQ TO s. 600 each at Point Roberts
l Will assume this TO be correct. Now. the
fishing season at Point Roberts extends
over period Of about thtrty-five days
or from early In July 10 about the 9th
OF August I have never known IL 10
be over forty days. II giil-netters last
season cleared this handsome sum in
such a short time what have they to fear
from traps. which were then in operation
and which Mr.. Smith claims are depr!ving
fishermen OF a chance to 1--we? And m
the face Of these figures OF the past seq
son. why should M. NoTdby hesitate
about getting his $1,000 worth OF gill-net
WEBB
1T IS not true that traps are operated
az Canoe pass. an arm OF the Fraser: and
e. Is nonsense TO talk OF such big catch
that quantities Of ash were dumped over
board, when cannery men were willing 70
pay % cents for every sockeye offered
them.
I, Is true that traps are not allowed in
the Fraser. but conditions on that stream
and IN the waters OF the bower Sound are
radically different. The Fraser river Is
many times larger than al the rivers
emptying INTO Puget sound combined.
There Is room there for 5 90 fishing boats
and their gear. The water is sufficiently
muddy 20 permit giil-nettinE. and X is
weIl-kuowu fact that this giE-1eftiug car
not Re successfully carried on in the clear
waters OF the Sound. Our traps are not
near the mouth OF any OF the rivers. We
want the Fraser river sockeye. and put
out traps where these fish run NotWith-
standing the introduction Of traps on the
American side. Fraser canneries still have
an advantage over Us IN regard 10 prices.
Last season We paid gii-netters - cents
and y cents. while the Fraser cannsries
-Four years ago. when there was a big
run q salmon. the average price on the
Fraser was only ~ cents And also not
withstanding the traps. which are such
curse n the eyes Of some people. we we're
forced 70 20 70 the Fraser river last sea-
son FOR nsh. on which we paid freight and
duty and vet laid them down at our can
merry az a lower price thsn Ne paid Amer
scan gill-netyers. The two largest Gamer
fes ~ A0eeortes. the FIdaIgo and Anacor-
tss. brought more sackeyes from British
Columbia than were caught IN American
waters by al the American EiI-netteTs
combined.
The lower sound cannerles cannot ex-
isj - traps sre done away vita Twelve
years ago. before traps were Thought Of.
carDery vas botC AZ Blaine. but ic
proved a failure and was discontinued.
Ten years ago. another experiment vas
mace ~ Samish. near Anacortes. AMI IL
also wss a failure. ard was discontinued.
II traps are done away with. I cannot see
any 0saer result than chat We must re-
move car canneTy. Last season vita
fuu complement % boats and gear. the
salmon % az kinds caught BY tie Kill
meters q the lower sound as not suTs-
c8ent 20 keep even one q the large Ana-
cartes canneriez IN operation % anything
Ike Us sIIl ca pRcify. Yet there we're more
gIl-netters than ever before. and the in
Gacezue1t 20 cztch salmon vas greater
bacauss the price vas higher. Slnce ths
lover sand oanneT1es and traps acre
hui.t. re price pai5 CLINE trers has a.
nos doubted
REGARDING The Tall@ % tAs lover SQUAD
fisheries and thefr effect upon the bust
ness % TIE o3-ies ! VII say raat re Fi-
Gzizo csnnery. % Which n manager
alone paid cur a trtSe ever rs GO last sea-
So1. We has expscts1 % touple oar pack