The evening times., 1900-02-09
The Western Limit.

any schoOIboy should be able TO define the
boundaries OF the little District where the
Capital OF the United States is located. yet
it is not definitely shown on any official
map, nor is any individual, in the absence
OF authoritative opinion. certain as to its
limits on the west. II is, indeed, drifting
by custom toward the channel OF the river.
for in the bewidering uncertainty OF lines
upon the water. lawbreakers are GnmOlest-
ed. lest officials suffer from some excess OF
zeal, and wrongs are committed far out
side the debatable line aud the offenders
90 'uuwhipped OF justice
Vast sums OF money are annually eN-
pended by the Government in the artificial
propagation and distribution OF fish.
the results accomplished by the Fish Com
mission are much 10 its credit and ours
and fully justifeS such expenditure, but
the jurisdiction of the Fish Commission
does not end with placing the fish in the
District waters Of the United States. and
the subsequent protection of these fish end
fry devOlves as well upon the COmmi s. ion
upon the local and state authorities
Distribution is. however. useless Un-
less the fish are protected, and laws for
their protection worse than useless II un-
enforced. The waste involved In the de
struCtiOn Of spawning fish is inCalculable.
Frank Buckland once said; only TO think
Of the seven million eggs OF a single cod
FISH being ofeTeJ for four pence a pound
weight is enough TO send a fishery in
speCtor TO n lunatiC asylum But there
IS a worse destruction and deseCration than
even this. and that is the dumping OF
edible fish too small to be marketable upon
I the land as fertilizer, a wauton waste OF
the immature fish and an injury 20 the
land. yet fish taken from District waters.
H.f f.s.f IN
this iguoble use within the year
For the protection Uf these fishes. Con
/ gress in 1895 passed amended laws, fixing
/ close seasons and limiting netting. etc,
/ in the District waters, and provided That
/ any person engaged in taking tsuchl cat
4 fish. smelt. club, bull miuuow, and cray
! fish. shall first have procured a written
/ permit from the Commissioner OF Fish and
/ Fisheries 10 take such bait for hook and
/ line fishing.
The Granting OF Permits.
In granting such a permit for the catch
/ ing Of bait in District waters it is inde-
/ sDensable that the Commissioners should
be informed as 70 the boundaries Of said
/ District sO,that the responsibility of en-
/ forcing the laws for the protection % fish
! and the prevention OF Illegal netting may
I be definitely settled as 20 the District OF
The authorities OF either OF these" DR..
! Young says, may be depended on 10 pro-
/ tect the fisheries under their charge, but
I neither is willing 10 assume jurisdiction
/ over waters that have been in and out,
| forming an area OF No Mans water in the
/ bays opposite Washington and below.
where there is no claimant and no law.
I Virginia has never asserted any claim Ere
and the patrol boats OF the District. by ca
/ son Of these doubts decline to protect what
| we are assured are District fisheries.
The natural sequence is that fyke nets
| are set for the spring runs so openly that
/ they even reach far beyond the questioned
| lines: seines are hauled with immunity
| over areas which are admittedly within
the District; hcusebOats have permanent
anchorage here. and undisturbed poachers
ply their calling in waters that are in the
District. yet not OF it,
Three Different Boundaries.
In the maps issued by the Geological
Survey no claim is made to accuracy OF
boundaries: indeed where possible. any
thing in the nature OF a controversy OF
this subject is avoided; but. in this case
by reason Of printing the boundary lines
| OF the District OF Columbia In three dif-
ferent ways, in three successive years, th'
embarrassment and confusion have beer
rather increased than din jnished.
To illustrate a map dated 1898, shows
, ! the boundary line of the District closely
following the Virginia shore around the
bay at the mouth of BOach's Run immedi-
ately south of Alexander Island and also
! following the shore line around the bay
at the mouth of Four Mile Run. This. we
! contend. is the proper boundary by record
and precedent; but in the following year
on a map dated 1884 the line at the mouth
! OF Four Mile Run was drawn from Hunt
! er's Point on the north to Daingerheld
Point on the south, placing the whole o.
the bay in Virginia. The very next veal
another map. dated 1895 shows the linz
: drawn from Hunters Point to Swann'i
4 ! Point throwing the Daingerfeld Bay int
- the District. and taking into the Distric
4 part of the bay at the mouth of Four Mil,
{ | Run.
r what has been said OF the FISH hold
good as to the destruction Of game in tn
3 same waters. but since this is migrator.
- the immediate loss is not to be so directl,
1 measured: but what are known as biz
guns are used by poachers in these water
4 | every season contrary to law and decency
2 and the poachers enjoy a freedom from
disturbance under the shadow OF the Mon
| ument which they can hardly find any
where else in the country.
The executive authorities Of the Dis
! trict will be relieved by an opinion as L
Z
> the responsibility of enforcing regulation
. | will be less burdensome than the embar
l. rassment under which they now labor
II subjected as they are to the kindly crit
q cism of many law-abiding friends and tn
/, contempt of the poachers who view thei
j inaction, the one with sadness, the othe
e with ghOulish glee-
Your honorable Fish Commission will b
p benefited by the settlement of this line i
/, that IL will insure better care OF your ten
der charges, of whose increase you ma
IT well be proud, and the Illegal destructio
1t of which is to the direct injury of the pee
le ple and the Commission. rObbing the on
!, OF a food and pleasure that, protected
= cheap. neglected is dear. and rObbing th
y other Of a Weil-earned credit and prestg
v The Game ana Fish Protective Associs
n tion OF the District Of Columbia will I
VI grateful for an opinion that will cure thes
= evils. and will feel that in securing this
he your hands they bave abundantly justift
Of their organization, and accomplished a lor
pc strike in bringing the fish and game pOss
bilities OF the District under an authori
where they are content il will be care
for"