The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-12-09


18th of this year, endeavoring to
come 10 an international agreement
for the preservation and satisfactory
use of the fisheries of these waters
which can not otherwise be achiev-
ed. Lake Erie, for example. has the
richest fresh water fisheries in the
world; still it is now controlled by
the statutes of two Nations. four
/ States, and one Province, and in this
Province by different ordinances in
| different counties. All these political
divisions work at cross purposes, and
in no case can they achieve protec-
ton to the fisheries. on the one
hand, and justice to the localities and
| individuals on the other. The case Is
similar in Puget Sound
But the problem Is quite as press
| ing in the interstate waters of the
United States. The salmon fisheries
| of the Columbia River are now but a
| fraction Of what they were twenty
| five years ago, and what they would
be now if the United States Govern
ment had taken complete charge OF
them by intervening between Ore
gon and Washington. During these
twenty-five years the fishermen of
each State have naturally tried to
take all they could get, and the two
legislatures have never been able TO
agree on Joint action of any kind ade-
quate in degree for the protection OF
the fisheries. At the moment the fish
ing ON the Oregon side is practically
closed, While there is no limit on the
Washington side Of any kind, and no
one can tell what the courts will de-
eide as to the very statutes under
which this action and nonaction re-
suit. Meanwhile very few salmon
reach the spawning grounds, and
probably four years hence the fisher
les will amount to nothing; and this
comes from a struggle between the
associated, or gill-net, fishermen on
the one hand, and the owners of the
fishing wheels up the river. The fish
cries of the Mississippi, the Ohio, and
the Potomac are also in a bad way.
For this there is no remedy except
for the United States to control and
legislate for the interstate fisheries as
part of the business of interstate COM
merce. In this case the machinery
for scientific investigation and for
control already exists in the United
States Bureau of Fisheries. In this
as in similar problems the obvious
and simple rule should be followed of
having those matters which no par
ticular State can manage taken in
hand by the United States; problems, |
which in the seesaw of conflicting
State legislatures are absolutely I'M
solvable, are easy enough for the
Congress to control.
FISHERIES AND FUR SEALS.
The federal statute regulating in
terstate traffic in game should be ex-
tended to include fish. New federal
fish hatcheries should be established. |
The administration of the Alaskan
fur-seal service should be vested in /
the Bureau of Fisheries.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
This Nations foreign policy is based
on the theory that right must be done |
between nations precisely as between
individuals, and in our actions for the |
last ten years we have in this matter |
proven our faith by our deeds. We
have behaved, and are behaving, to-
wards other nations, as in private life
an honorable man would behave to-
wards his fellows.
LATIN-AMERICANR REPUBLICS.
The commercial and material pro-
gress of the twenty Latin-American |
Republics is worthy of the careful
attention of the Congress. No other
section Of the world has shown
greater proportionate development of
its foreign trade during the last ten
years and none other has more spe-
cial claims on the interest of the
United States. 1t offers today prob
ably larger opportunities for the legi-
innate expansion of our commerce
than any other group of countries.
These countries will want our prod
ucts in greatly increased quantities,
and we shall correspondence need
theirs. The International Bureau is
doing a useful work in making these
nations and their resources better
known to us, and in acquainting them
not only with Us as people and with
our purposes towards them, but with
what we have to exchange for their
goods. 1t is an international insti-
tuition supported by all the govern
ments of the two Americas.
PANAMA CANAL.
The work on the Panama Canal is
being done with a speed, efficiency
and entire devotion to duty, which
make it a model for all work of the
kind. No task of such magnitude has
ever Before been undertaken by any
nation; and no task of the kind has
ever been better performed The
men on the Isthmus, from Colonel
Goethals and his fellow commission
ers through the entire list of employ
ees who are faithfully doing their
duty, have won their right to the I'M
grudging respect and gratitude of the
American people
OCEAN MAIL LINES.
| again recommend the extension of