The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-01-08
TO PROTECT THE woskMEN
The State Federation Of Labor Wants
Legislature to Enact Bill Provid-
ing Against Misrepresentation

HELENA. Jan. S.-MemberS of the
Montana Game and Fish Protective
association will make determined
effort at the present session of the
legislature to have that body make
some changes in the fish laws. Mem
bers are in favor of a closed season
or fish. They say that fishing in the
early spring and. especially during the
first part of the spawning season. does
great damage 1t is argued that the
season for fishing should open about
June Is and close March 1. The claim
is made that if this were done there
would be less need for restocking the
streams from the fish hatcheries.
1t is also said to he the purpose of
he association to make especial eff
Sort to have laws passed that will eff
rectually prevent and forever stop the
owners of irrigating bitches leav-
ing them open so that fish can
crowd down the artificial water
ways and thus become forever
'ost to the tempting cast of the angler
t is said that many thousand fry
| Ire lost in this way every year and it
s known that some. at least. of the
farmers manage to get fish for their
abies by simply turning the water
out of the ditch and then scooping out
he fish Laws of this kind have al
+ ways been opposed by the farmer
members of the legislature. not so
much that they like an easy way of
'omething to put a screen at the head
| If the ditch.
A few years ago a law was passed
| that was thought to be just the thing.
t was believed that at last a scheme
had been evolved and adopted as the
law of the land. binding and forceful
hat would forever prevent this ac-
HnOwledged evil. Later it was signed
~ the governor Still later it was
found the law made it a bounden duty
If the owner of the irrigating ditch to
place screen of certain dimensions
| at the wrong end of the ditch. Since
that time there have been no laws or
rulings that the farmer has felt it his
duty to respect
IT. is the claim of the farmers that
4 wire screen at the head of the
ditch is both expensive and useless.
and. besides. it clogs up with debris
that prevents the water from enter
ing the ditch. 1t is further alleged that
that when the screen is kept clear
The small fish can enter and be swept
| to their destruction. accomplishing no
| good purpose. except to enrich the
and irrigated. On the other hand. it
IS the claim of the farmers that when
the head of the ditch is left open
some big fish may enter. but when
they discover what they are up
against they Immediately return to
heir happy homes in the main stream.
The men who would rather catch
fish with a hook and line than with a
howell assert that the Superintendent
i the government fish hatchery at
'oZeman has invented an arrange
nent that. when placed at the head of
the ditch will effectively prevent anv
Ssh. big or little from entering At
the same time. it will not block or re-
lard the flow of the water so much
as a toy spoonful in whole season.
! An effort was made last year to have
the farmers of the valleys in Deer
! Lodge county adopt this new scheme.
| nut the farmers. it is said. did not take
kindly to the idea.
| The coming legislature will be
asked to pass law compelling every
owner of an irrigating ditch to place
one of these devices at the head of his
ditch.