The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1901-01-11
Commissioner Little Recommends.

S'~@ A"aN oO'OiO {" iOS iSldeuTt VI w aS1
lugton. 1t will include in its recon
menCations number of departures
and the drafts OF two or three bills
which if enacted into laws by the
Legislature, will have an important in
fiuence upon the fishing industry of
the state, and Mr.. Little believes, after
his four years experience in his pre-
sent office, will do more toward pro-
1tecting the interests of fishermen, cam
ners and dealers who handle fish than
any acts heretofore passed.
Mr.. Little this afternoon furnished
advance sheets of a considerable por-
ton of his report to the Post-Intel lii
gencer. One of the important mat
ters taken up at the beginning of the
report is fisheries inspec ton law
Numerous complaints come from every
part of the state against packers of
flsh produces who put up their output
In such manner that It's sale has a
bad Influence on the sale of fish pro-
ducts generally. This works to the
disadvantage of the legitimate dealer,
as this class of produce can be sold for
less money than the first-class article
To remedy this evil it has been sugges-
ted by large number engaged in the
business that a state inspection law
be enacted, requiring that the fish
commissioner inspect the products of
the different packing and preserving
institutions in the state, and that the
commissioner be provided with stamp
which placed on the product lnsures
the quality and quantity of the goods
Mr.. Little recommends the passage Of
such law, and in the event that it is
not deemed advisable, that it shall be
compulsory, he states that large por-
tion of those interested ask that the
new law be enacted and the state fish
commissioner be empowered to put the
stamp OF quality or quantity on the
goods to any person desiring.
Another important matter is bill
which the commissioners has drafted
in its entirety and included in his re-
port-which has for Its end tho encour-
agement OF private hatcheries for the
cultiva ton of food fishes. This bill
has ten sections, a summary of which
follows:
Any riparation proprietor may
within the limits OF his own premises,
inclnse the waters of a stream not
navigable for private hatchery, pro-
viding a suitable passage for migratory
fishes naturally frequenting such wa
ters is furnished: the owners of such
hatcheries may take the fish in bis own
lnclosed waters at any time and for
any purpose; if any person or corpor-
alton establish such private hatchery
for the purpose of selling fish, its To-
cation must be approved by the state
fish commissioner; the product of
such hatchery may be sold at any
time of the year by the owner; each
private fish hatchery, before it is en-
titled to the benefits of the act, must
| pay an annual licepse fee of $50, it is
the duty of persons in charge of pri-
vate hatcheries to make quarterly re-
ports to the state fish commissioner OF
the amount of spawn, fry and the fish
sold and the address of the patty re-
ceiving the same; all persons engaged
in the business of buying, selling or
handling trout or other food fish OBJ
tanned from private hatcheries must
procure license for such business
costing $3.50 annually; no person is
allowed to take fish artificially propa-
gated in a private hatchery without
first obtaining permission from the
owner of the hatchery; private hatch
cries are exempt from the game laws
Of the state; moneys collected under
the provisions Of the act are turned
into the state treasury and placed in
the fish and game protection fund;
persons violating the act may be pun
ished by being placed in the county
Jail for period not to exceed six
months or by fine of not more than
$500.
The yexed and conflicting interests
of the trout and salmon fishermen,
Mr.. Little believes, can be solved by
designating certain streams in the
state as trout streams, and he SO rec
ommends. The commercial fisheries,
4 including the salmon industry,
seriously and righteously object to the
| increase of trout in the salmon
streams, while on the other hand the
spor tsmen and game fishermen take
but little interest in the salmon in
dustry, and are only interested in the
increase and preservation of the trout.
The two interests cannot be harmon
| lied on the same stream. If the leg
islature follows out Mr.. Little's sug-
gestion, be recommends that the