The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-08-13

feet the seining at that point. no
whether our commissioner could q
over there and stop their work on tn
. Washington side. met Mr. McGowal
last night and he stated that he woult
not receive any fish today. Personally
I have notified all NJ NV trap men tha
purchases we're closed on our part"
Mr., Lornstein, secretary Of the Co
lumbla River Firherman's Protectiyc
Union. said:
The close season here is a humbug
don't believe that we should have
anV As to the fish getting above The
Dalles bv seDtember 10th, they don't
begin to. II they did. they would be
black and entirely faded out Another
thing; the wheels should be taken out
Of the river A good plan might be
TO establish line across the river, and
let all the fish that get beyond It go
Scott free. Pay no attention to thgm
after they get above high water. There
Is no question but that the present
season has been aggravatingiy iate;
and when the summer or spring is
late. the fish are invariably backward.
Their spawn is deficient besides. When
the season develops early, however. the
spawn Is always In normal condition"
Asked II fishing was being prose-
cuted on the Washington side, we'll
known fisherman who was In the office
al the time. said:
They were running a sein OF Of
Tongue Point this morning. It could
be seen very distinctly. They were
fishing up at MiIler's Sands. too. and
got in ten tons that know OF"
Mr.. n. w. Tallant discussed the sub
ject as follows:
Il had a talk with Governor Geer
today and told him that 1 should GER
tainly advise extending the open sea-
son, at least, five days and shorten. in
turn. the spring season FIVE days. He
acquiesced with me concerning the
fish now entering the river running
above the dalles. 1t is my opinion that
they do not try TO do so. Their spawn
ing grounds are up in Cathlamet bay
beyond Tongue Point. and from there
along TO Oak Point and in the various
sloughs in that vicinity. OF course.
there may be few that would reach
the dalles. but not many. and the few
that did so would have their fat and
strength entirely exhausted"
Continuing, Mr.. Tallant said: 1T
Is very evident that the salmon Of
today are quite superior to the salmon
we had ten years ago the first OF
August. l think there is more than
two weeks difference in them. much Of
which is attributed TO the condition Of !
the river This year the river has been
very high. II the water had slack.
ened, the fish would have come in
earlier"
Mr.. Tallant stated that he had heard
the fishing on the Washington side was
to close down for a couple OF days and
then start again. He also said that
the river was higher today than at
any time for the same period in fifteen
years,
In speaking Of the published esti-
mate OF the 1899 pack. Mr.. 7. B. Nc
Govern said: The report might have
been a trife inaccurate by reason Of
the cannerymen in some instances
counting four dozen cases Of half
pounds as full cases, 1 consider it as
trustworthy as it was possible to make
it at the time. Regarding an extension
of time, Mr.. McGovern held the fol- |
lowing opinion: Il think the close |
season should extend until the first of |
May and that the open season should |
continue from that time until August |
s5th. The regular salmon have been
coming in later for the last three
years, and believe It is natural for |
the hatchery fish to come in later"
In conclusion he said: This season
demonstrates that the pack on the
river cannot be depended upon. We
are likely to have short seasons, and
in view Of this, the entire Columbia
river pack ought to be put up and sold
only as strictly fancy goods and at
price that such goods should natur-
ally bring. There is an increasing de-
mand east for this quality of salmon,
which can be obtained no where else
in the world than right at the mouth
of the Columbia river. For this reason.
1t would behoove the cannerymen to
join in a concerted action looking to
this end. It has been the aim OF the
Columbia River Packers Association
to carry this idea into effect. 1t GER
tainly would not only benefit the can
nerymen, but every fisherman as well.I
Mr., william NJ, Barker's views colnI
cided in the main with those Of Mr.
McGovern, Mr.. Barker thought that
the estimate Of the Association pacA
was lower than it really was. He said
that during the last few days there
was quite run of salmon which
should have added materially to the
Regarding the close season.
he thought it was a farce. For years.
they had been propagating August
Continued on page three. !