The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-12-02
Remember
TIE Salmon Question.

To the Editor of the West Coast Trade:
Will you kindly permit for publica-
ton in your paper a few lines from
one who has perused its columns for
10 these many years. You say In your
number of November I7th regarding
the fishing industry of Puget Sound
and Washington, that ninety thou
sand dollars is not an unwise invest
ment for perpetuating the industry of
salmon fishing, and you also say it APP
pears to have been demonstrated that
artificial propagation is guarantee OF
future abundance of salmon in the
waters of Puget Sound and consequent
ly argue that we as a state are pursu-
ing a wise course. Now, sincerely, |
think you have not given this subject
of salmon fishing the attention and
consideration it deserves, and [ wish
to state that there are few Of us at
least who will feel compelled to differ
with you as to the remedy to be used
in order to provide the future abund-
ance of salmon that we once had in
the waters of Puget Sound and the
tributary streams. All this talk given
us by the fishermen and the cannery
men of Puget Sound wherein they say
the number of fish taken from year to
year has not diminished and there is
no occasion for alarm as to the future
that there will never come time, in
their opinion, when salmon will be
less plentiful than in the past.
This sort of logic and argument will
not stand when confronted with cold
demonstrated facts and experiences of
the past. In order to maintain the
annual catch of salmon during the
past five years the fishermen and can
nerymen do not tell us OF the very
large increased percentage OF men that
have engaged III the business during
the past five pears, neither do they tell
us of the new and improved methods
used at this time in way of fish traps,
neither do they tell us that during the
past two seasons they have placed nets
and traps at places not heretofore
thought of and neither do they tell us
that during the past two years they
have had nets at the mouth of every
small stream emptying into Puget
Sound; then is it any wonder they
had been able up to this time to keep
up the percentage of fish taken with
that of former years?
At the rate the salmon have been
captured during the past two years
and have been kept from going to
their spawning grounds VIZ. up the
fresh water streams, who can say that
within the next ten years the time
will not arrive when it would be OBJ
perfume to write the obituary OF the
salmon industry OF Puget Sound.
Who can say that the salmon industry
of the stare of Washington has not be-
come the ';ictim of greedy fishermen
and still N ire greedy Legislators who
prevent Tie enactment of laws for
salutary regulations in consideration
of pecun;;try gain. How much longer
can we Sly to our friends in the east
and mid Re west, our waters TEEN with
| fish ans! Sav it truthfully? The truth
in this 81. Ing in the past has had very
largely toll with many a mans locat-
Ing IA ai;e tie of Washington, and
right here ks me appeal to all fair
minded it'.:ens OF the state of Wash
ington M!,., are interested in having
salmon. the king of fish, plentiful in
our waters, see to it that your legisla-
tor is made aware that trap fishing
should Le stopped and no distractions
placed al the mouth of streams in the
way OF nets or traps to prevent the
salmon fT.n, s"!ng up the streams,
The people oil our state who reside in
land and near ) me river or stream are
certainly entitled to some of the priv
ileges nature intended and they were
promised BY nature when they located.
III. NJ. LEE.