The times., 1898-02-02
ELK|hs's MAN IS NAMED
The President Appoints Bowers
TO Be Fish Commissioner.
WILL HE BIZ CONFIRMED !?
Mr.. Frye and Other Senators Have
VIII Fight Him on the Ground
That He Is Not Qualified to Take
Mr.. Brice's Pace.


| severely criticised fJr many Of the nolnina
| tions 1T has made to offices of public trust
and honor, hut in no cuse has there been
| the universal condemnation aroused as 10y
the appointment Of George NJ. Bowers, o
| MartinsburS W. Va, nominated yesterda y
| be Commissioner OF Fish and Fisheries
| His nomina.'on Win be vigorously opposed
| in the Senate Only sh6rttinie ago Sena tor
Frye, chairman Of the Committee on Com,
nercc, TO which the nomination WIFI be
referred, told the President personally that
| Mr.. Bow ers could not beconfirIned
| The law regulating the Fish Commission
! specifically states that it's head shah be
| a scientific man, versed In the subjects
| that come within the province of that
| bureau for investigation and scientific
| study. AT he outset, therefore, the Presi-
dent has violated the law in the appoint
| nieDt OF nan who IL is Claimed, knows
| nothing about the business of the commits
sion or the habits of fish, save what he has
been able TO acquire in u course of reat ding
covering possibly q period OF two months
MF. Bowers is well know IL Republican
politician of West Virginia, and Senator
Elkins OF that Stats has been persistent
ever since the advent of this Administra-
tion in pushing him for some rirst-class
position In .de public service. Mr. Bow
ers at first desired TO he collector OF in
teEnal revenue in the district of West
Virginia, but the President declined TO
appoint him, on the ground that he was
not competent to fill the duties of that
position. 1t vas with some surprise, there
fore, that the scientific men OF the ceun-
try saw Mr. Bowerss name prominently
mentioned in connection with the headship
of the important bureau of fish and
fisheries. Immediately following the pub
lished statement that senator EIkins had
secured the promise Of the President that
his man should be nominated FOR that
place, protests began TO reach the Presi-
dent from scientific men all over the
United states, and from residents Of all
the states tn the Atlantic and Pacific
seaboards, where he immense fishing
industries are located.
The first protest came from New ENGLAND,
Senator Frye himself being the first to
warn the President that he was making a
mistake. Then came the Massa chusetts
Senators, who We're re-enforced by thou
sands of letters from the fishermen Of the
Bay State, who have become thoroughly
acquainted With the magnificent work of
the present fish commissioner al Woods
Holl, the propagating and experimental
grounds, where Commissioner Bricc has
given such a practical illustration of his
knowledge oi the needs of the bureau over
t.trat.
has practically started anew the lobster
industry Of the New England coast, and
by his methois of propagation and his care
ful Investigation into its habits has revived
the hopes If the New England fisheries.
His handbook, which has just been issued.
IS said TO be one Of the most practical and
useful that has ever emaDated from his
bureau.
Senators White and Perkins, and. in
fact, all TIL" delegations from California.
Oregon and Washington, have called upon (
the President and protested against the ap- (
pointnent II an inexperienced man for the I
present scieGtific and skilled head of the
Fish Commission. They, too. have called .
he attention of the President to the ex-
,eilcnce or The WORK air. Rrice has per
orIued, and hey have SHOWN him that this
in the hands OF man not
for is duties viii deteriorate the
,reat fishing industries Of the country, and
hat industry viii greatly suffer by such
action.
Several men skilled in the matters that
'ome under this commission have been
ecofnmendat for this place, and Sena
or Frye particularly impressed upon
he President the fact that he had no
hoice in the matter, save that he must
INSIST that purely scientific branch of
he Government work must be presided
'ver by scientific man, and that such
In lmporta /. position could not be given
o anyone 'hose chief qualification was
lis excellence as politician and in
he manipulation OF men. What the Fish
commission wanted was a man who un-
erstood fish and their habits; the means
L improving existing conditions and adj
ancing one of the greatest industries
the United States today.
1t Is understood that at this conference
ne President told Mr.. Frye that he would
Undoubtedly appoint q scientific man and
hat he had 10 Intention of appointing Mr.
lowers, whose disqualifications he recog-
lied. 1t is also said that the President
lformed Mr.. Elk ins some weeks ago that
e would no*, owing to the pressure that
al been brought TO bear upon him. an
oine MT. bowers. Still the appointment
as been forwarded TO the Senate, IND Mr..
lkiBs has won the day. 1t now remains
be seen Hhether he can have his man
)nfirmed. The indications point TO a
cry warm line of it in the Senate and
here VIII probably be some very plain
ak with the chances, at least of the nomi-
alton being hung up for some time.
Commissioner Brice does not discuss the
rtion OF The President. he says he leaves
lie commission with no regrets and that
e is satisfied with the work he has en-
Favored to accomplish " hile he ha been I
It's head. Now that the President has
his successor, MIR. Brice says that
e VIII make no protest and it would he ,
ore to his liking il his friends would make ,
,ne. This, how ever f. not pFoba There
no tenure Of office to the conmission ner-
Zip. The late Commissioner Macdonald
I'D IL for years until he died, and this Ad-
inistration has for the first time taken
lat office out of trained hands nd turned
over to the control Of politicians 1t is ,,
lrdly proUable that the United States 9
.nate will approve Of this species of civil $
rviCe reform.
Mr.. Bowers Is ihirtyfour years old |
IN years aso he went into politics and was
ected member Of the legislature. At
at time he had large business interests
MartinsbDrg. He was supervisor of the
,nsus for his State in 1880. In 1892 he :
as delegate to the Republican National .
invention, and was district chairman of | +
le party for four years after that date Y
/. w En- nllra Do q