The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-04
FISH FOR GUANO
NEW MENACE TO SALT WATER
 FISH.
c. P. Deming of Eyergreen Writes of Fish Taking As He Saw It Along
 Baldwin County.

The interview last week with Hon. John H. Wallace. Jr., State Game and Fish Commissioner. printed in The Advertiser. predicting the depletion of doing away with the sportsmen's priv ilege in salt water seems to have call ed forth no little comment from many quarters.
 The information that came official- ly to the State Fish and Game Depart ment told of fish in huge quantities be- ing caught off Coffee Island and in and around Coden and borne away in large fleets to points on the coast of Louisl- CT. The fish were said to have been caught in seins from 1000 to 2.000 feet long and fifteen feet deep.
 Now the information is that guano factory is to be put up at a point call- ed Mephlin, Baldwin county. at which 1t is proposed to grind tarpon and oth- CT inhabitants of the salt water into fertilizer. This is the news written Commissioner Wallace by c. P. Dem ing. president of the Peoples Bank. of Evergreen. who has just returned from a trip to Perdido Bay. He also reports that from 1000 to 5000 pounds of fish are said to be daily caught by drag net and sein and carried to Pensacola for sale. thus glutting the Pensacola market and causing fish to be thrown back into the bay.
 The letter of Mir. Deming follows: "aon. John H. Wallace, Jr.,
 Game and Fish Commissioner. Mont gomery, Ala.
 My Dear Sir:
 "On my return from Casweil. on Per- dido Bay, I find in The Montgomery Advertiser of the 30th an article on fish taking in Mobile Bay which most A~1 lra.1 of taking frequently from 1000 to D. 900 pounds of fish daily with drag net and sein and carrying the catch to Pensacola for sale, and that this slaughter was frequently so great that the ePnsacola market was so much glutted that the fish were thrown in- to the bay to get rid of them,
 This wholesale destruction should be thoroughly investigated and stop put to it at once. if there be any pos sible way of doing so. But the trouble is that both Mobile and Perdido hays are salt waters, and. as I understand the law. the game and fish commits sioner has no Jurisdiction over either of them. It is certainly pity that this is true, for I know from personal observation that. if the present depre- dations continue. if will be only a question of a very few months when these waters will be entirely depict ed of fish, and that to the detriment' not only of the sportsmen. but to that of hundreds of others whose Iiveli- hood depends upon this source.
 But this is not all. by any means. It Is said that a guano factory will soon be established at Mephlin. oiin Baldwin county. for the purpose of making fertilizer of fish. Then the wholesale slaughter will begin, sure enough. They will use the sein. dyna- mite and every other means possible in their power. and the sportsmen and those who make their living by catch ing fish may go to the 'demintion-bow- VOWS, so far as the millionaire guano men care.
 "I am fully aware. Mir. Wallace. that the legislature has tied your hands. and that you can do absolutely noth- ing; but was anxious that you should have my, views on the subject, and, then, I wanted to give my earnest en- dorsement to The Advertiser article. I am persuaded that If the Mobile leg isiators could remedy the situation they would do so.
 Yours very truly,
 c. P. Deming.