The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-12-09

ana convicted sasA CRIMINALS Who
were u sAe eNCcsRvS htspoA u the
yso4ermRcnI sS in mN AcAlcl st
sh.vAa M gTyyn Azspst ncans NJ pfa
seya.e snem a segpa u the legisAatNs
AsaasA Nes Vi sAsS i not considered
aesasss q sgecias exSef,son sAcsaia
Ne aasas il sAs aae prsAisising the
use "A tAs Secrss SerySSe force IN ~
yess xssaas members u the Congress
Il uea1d Ns lar better 10 90 this than
,O g. wAat actually vas done, and
s,rsvt se prsvens o. a, least to ham
ser elective action ssinss criminals
~ he executive branch oi the Gov.
cfaagnt
Interstate Fisheries.
| eall the attention q the Congress
10 the importance oi the problem Of
,he ssAeries in the interstate waters,
On the Great Lakes we are now, an.
der the very wise treaty n April llth
AZ this year. endsavoring TO come To-
an international agreement for the
preservation and satisfactory use OF
the ksheries cs these waters which
can ros otherwise be achieved Lake
Erie. for example, has the richest
fresh water fisheries in the world; bu,
II is now controlled by the statutes
al two Nations, four States, and one
Province, and In this Province by diff
ferens ordinances in different eoun-
ties All these political divisions work
at cross purposes, and in no case can
they achieve protection to the FISH
cries. on the ore hand. and justice TO
the localities and individuals on the
other. The case Is similar Ia Puget
Sound
But the problem Is quite as pres
sing in the interstate waters Of the
United States. The salmon fisheries
of the Columbia River are now but =
fraction az what they we're twenty-five
years ago. and what they would be
now IL the United States Government,
had taken complete charge Of them
by intervening between Oregon 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 adequate In degree
for the protection Of the fisheries. Al
the moment the fishing on the Ore
gon side is practically closed, while
there is no limit on the Washingtor
side of any kind, and no one can tel
what the courts will decide as 10 sh'
very statutes under which this actor
and nonaction result. Meanwhile ven
few salmon reach the spawning
grounds, and probably four years
hence the fisheries win amount to no
thing; and this comes from struggle
between the associated, or giil-n..
fishermen on the one hand, and sh'
owners of the fishing wheels up th'
river. The fisheries of the Mississip
pi. the Ohio, and tue potomac are al
so in bad way For This there Is r'
remedy excep. for the United State
to control an4 iegisla;s for the inter
state fisheries ~ pa; Of the busines
Of interstate commerce. In this cas-
the machinery for scientific investi
CATION and for control already exist
in the United States Bureau of Fish
cries. In this as in similar problem
| the obvious and simple rule should b.
followed Of having those matter
which particular State can manag
taken in hand BY the United States
problems. which in the seesaw Of con
aicting State legislatures are abso
iuteiy unsoivabie are easy enough TO
the Congress to control
!