The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-12-09
GET THEE BEHIND ME- SATAN.

OE oAsAA4AsL 49, NN~AA~>~'N
~Fools rush in where angels dar'
not tread" This applies with peculiar
force to his honor. Mayor Sufert o.
The Dalles. who has mania for see
ing his name In print. For some un-
accountable reason. Mr., Sufert de-
mands the strict enforcement Of the
fishing laws. Time was, In the dim and
murky past, when he had no knowl-
edge of the existence of any fishing
laws. He was and is the owner Of sew
eral fish wheels below Cello. which
have done more to destroy the salmon
industry than all other appliances COM
lbined. These wheels used to catch all
the salmon. large and small. The law
expressly prohibited taking salmon
under a certain weight. and in order
to comply with the provisions Of the
law. the upper river wheelmen used to
catch thousands Of small fish weigh
ing from one to five pounds and put
them in a barrel and sink them In the
river so the master, fish warden could
not see them. The result was that all
the small salmon were caught out and
none remained to supply the deficiency.
The laws were openly violated by the
owners of fish wheels. and to such an
extent, that bill was introduced in
the legislature in 1895 to abolishing all
fish wheels. The wheelmen were there
in full force. with a large sack which
they used TO good advantage in in
fiuencing legislation. The state had to
resort to artificial propagation to create
supply Of fish. During the past two
years the fish wheels have not caught
many fish. and now Mr.. Sufert wants
the laws enforced II he had made an
effort to see that they were enforced
years ago, there would be no necessity
of weeping and wailing in the bailwick
of Cello.
'The greed of fisheries and their de-
fiance of law, Mr.. Seufert says, war
rant the legislatures in turning a deaf
ear to their plants and in hardening
only to the general interest in perpe-
tuation Of the salmon species. He
hopes that the lawmakers win ascertain
why the closed season has not been
enforced and will take means to drive
the fish wardens to their duty here
after.
Laws have been passed. but where
are the fish wardens to enforce them
and the fishermen and cannerymen to
observe them? Money has been ap-
propriated for hatcheries, but where
are the eggs to keep them busyT"
Mr.. Seufert has probably forgotten
about letter he wrote to Master Fish
Warden Van Dusen on September 10,
in which he made the proposition to
contribute a certain amount per case
or stand a fine, II the master fish ward
en- would allow him to violate the law
and fish during the close season. In
order to refresh Mr.. Seufert's memory
in this regard, we publish the letter,
which is as follows:
THE Dalles. oregon, Sept. 10, 1904.
"Mr. H. G. Van Dusen,
Dear Sir:-As your hatchery fund is
low, l will make you this proposition:
We will pay cents per case for each
case we packed during the closed sea-
son, If each of the Gamers will agree
to do the same, and cold storage men
likewise. To the fishermen will make
this proposition: We will pay the
regular license Of our gear run dur
ing the closed season If they will do
likewise, and If they will not do this we
will stand for fine on each cannery
not to exceed $500, and each fisherman
IS for gillnetters and $50 fine for each
trap, wheel or seine, to help out the
hatchery fund. You can publish this
If you desire. Yours.
(Signed) "F. A. SEUFERT."
Laws have been passed, but where
are the fish wardens to enforce them
and the fishermen and cannerymen to
observe them?" exclaimed Mr.. Seufert.
They were certainly not at Cello try
ing to bribe the fish warden to allow
the wheelmen to fish during the close
season in direct violation Of law. Tney
were not trying to influence the master
FISH warden to allow Mr.. Seufert TO fish
during the close season, in violation of
law, upon the agreement to pay cents
a case for all fish packed, or fine Of
$500 for propagation purposes. No, Mr..
Seufert was attending to this part of
protecting the salmon industry from
the mayors ONCE at The Dalles. If
Mr.. seufert Is 20 much concerned about
the protection Of the salmon industry.