Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-12-09

the fisheries In the interstate waters.
On the great lakes we are now, under
the very wise treaty Of April II OF
this year, endea voring to come to an
international agreement for the preser-
vation and satisfactory use of the fish
cries Of these waters which n cannot e. NJ
otherwise be achieved Lake erie, for
example has the richest fresh water
fisheries in the world, but 1t Is now
controlled by the statutes OF two ma
tions, four states and one province, and
In this province by different ordinances
In different counties. All these polit-
ical divisions work at cross purposes.
and In no case can they achieve pro-
lection to the fisheries on the one hand
and justice to the localities and indi-
viduals on the other. The case ts
similar in Puget sound. 3
But the problem is quite as pressing
In the interstate waters of the United
States. The salmon fisheries Of the
Columbia river. are now but q fraction
of what they were twenty five years
ago and what they would be now IL
the United States government had
taken complete charge Of them by In
teryening between Oregon and Wash
ington. During these twenty-five
years the fishermen OF each state have
naturally tried to take all they could
get, and the two legislatures have
Dever been able to agree on Joint ac-
tion of any kind adequate In degree
for the promotion OF the fisheries. At
the moment the fishing 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 decide as to the very
statutes under which this action and
nonaction result Meanwhile very few
salmon reach the spawning grounds,
and probably four years hence the
fisheries 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 toScontrol and legis-
late for the Interstate fisheries as part
Of the business Of interstate com
merce. In this case the machinery
for scientific inyestig and for con
troll already exists d In the United
Staes bureau Of fisheries. In this as
In similar problems the obvious and
simple rule should be followed Of hay
Ing those matters which no particular
state can manage taken IN hand BY the
United States. problems which, in the
seesaw Of conflicting state legislatures
are absolutely unsolvable, are easy
enough for the congress to control.
Fisheries and Fur Seals.
The federal statute regulating inter-
state traffic in game should be extend
ed 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. Ss5s
Foreign Affairs. #
This nations foreign policy is based
on the theory that right must be done
between nations precisely as between
indiv iduals, and in our actions for the
last ten years we have in this matter
proved our faith by our deeds. We
have behaved and are behaving to-
ward other nations as In private life an
honorable @ man would behave toward
his fellows. If III