Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-28

great renoWn as the Aibatross, II mas
done excellent service since 1880 In eX-
ploring Atlantic waters. and 1t mas maze
notable exploration trips to Porto Rico.
1t Is ship of 44O gross tons burden and
is convertible into a hatchery Another
vessel belonging to the bureau is the fish
cry schooner Grampus, built by the gov
eminent as an object lesson OF what
swift and safe fishery schooner should be-
THE present commissioner OF fish and
fisheries, George NJ. Bowers is not
an ichthyologist. either in a strict sense
OF the word or in the elastic sense which
signifies some sort of faunal naturalist,
who is not mammalogist, ornithologist
or entomologist, though he has learned
much about fishes in the eleven years in
which he has been in his present Office.
lie belongs TO this narrative nevertheless.
very important fact concerning fishes
ana other products of fisheries is their
great commercial value. and Mr. Bowers
is an expert on the dollar statistics con-
nected with fisheries, and also an expert
business manager of the great govern
ment enterprise that has grown ND to
make practical application of ichthyolog
ical knowledge.
The iirst two commissioners of fish
were among the leading ichthyologists of
thelr Time. Spencer +. Baird and DR. c.
Brown Goode, and in their era investiga-
ton was undoubtedly the most important
branch Of fish commission work. but
when Marshall Mcdonald. Goodies sue
cessor. had developed fish culture TO an
extent that attracted the admiration of
the entire civilized world the demand
was more for a capable executive than a
scientist McDonald's successors have
therefore. been Capt. John j. Brice a re-
tired naval officer. and Mr.. Bowers. each
OF or Wnom has measured up to demands
a
Mr. Bowers Is West Virginia farm
err son, who. early in life sought the
town OF Martinsburg helped i'm its devel-
opment as real estate operator, made
investments in it's local enterprises went
to the legislature and became substan-
tlal cltlzen. tie was supervisor of the
tnited States census for West Virginia
In 1880 and 1t was doubtless the excel
lence of the work he did I'm that connec-
ton which helped to gain him appoint-
ment to the Office which he has long and
creditably filled. Mr. Bowers maintains
residence in Martlnsburg and occa-
sonaily fishes himself along the banks OF
the Potomac. a stream familiar to him in
his boyhood days. and elsewhere and is
IN as thorough sympathy with the inter
ests or anglers as he is with those of sal
mon packers or pearl button manufac-
turers. but he has never been that sort
or fisherman who neglects the days work
In order TO lure the gamy trout or festive
bass from their hiding places
1t has been during Mr.. Bowers admin
istration that the fish commission, for
merly an independent branch of the gov
eminent service, was made a bureau of
the Department of Commerce and Labor.
This took place in the year 1903. At the
same time the supervision of the salmon
and seal fisheries of Alaska was trans
ferred from the Treasury Department to
the bureau of fisheries. The bureaus
agents exercise police power in Alaska.
and the bureau has undertaken extensive
hatchery work for salmon there, having
established one station in 1908 and one
In 1908. Urging an allowance for sub
sstence for employees of the bureau at
Baker lake. Washington, and Yes bay
and Afognak. Alaska, Commissioner Bow
ers described in his last annual report
how the fish culture operations have ex-
tended to remote wildernesses saying:
Baker lake. Washington. is seventeen