The San Francisco call., 1910-03-16
CHINESE DODGE DEPUTIES

Chief Deputy Charles A. Vogelsang of
the state fish ana game commission
offered his explanations yesterday TO
the state senate committee inveetigat-
ing the high cost of living as to why
il was impossible for the commission
with its so salaried deputies to stop
attractions Of the law by the Chinese
shrimp fishermen on the waters Of the
bay.
He admitted that the commission
received as much as $4,000 a year to
carry on its work, but ADDED that II
had not been possible to keep deputies
at the FISH camps and prevent the un-
lawful taking OF small fish by Chinese
shrimp fishermen. That his eXplana-
tions did not explain satisfactorily may
be judged by the comments of the COM
Inittee and Senator Welch printed
above.
Vogelsang made long statement in
which he said that there had been no
restrictions on shrimp hshing untll
1893, when a closed season of four
months was established. Up to the
time of the enactment of the nonexport
law the Chinese were shipping so per
cent of the shrimps out of the country,
after having dried them.
ORIENTALs DESTROY EVIDENCE
The catching of shrimp is harmful
on the food supply of FISH in the bay,
admitted Vogelsang. Large quanti-
ties of fish are caught in these Chinese
set nets.
The official went on to say that it
was hard to secure evidence against
the Chinese; that they would destroy
the evidence when the commissioner S
deputies approached them. In spite of
this. however, the state senate com-
mittee last week went TO the camp at
McNear's point and found half a ten of
dead fish on the beach and made no
effort to approach by stealth.
Vogelsang said that one way to stop
the destruction of fish would be TO
prohibit the use of the bag net, or
Chinese shrimp net in the day. A
closed season of two years on shrimps
would also have a beneficial effect,
The witness would not confirm SEN
ator Wolfe's remark that of the so
deputies employed by the commission
10 were used in protecting the food
fish OF the bay, while so were engaged
in protecting the game fish of the
interior
WOULD PROHIBIT EXPORTS
When Senator welch asked whether
II would be advisable TO put a deputy
st each fish camp Vogelsang said that
il was the aim Of the commission to
have a deputy in each county. He
volunteered the information that there
had been 81 arrests during; the last
year for catching undersized fish and
that the fines amounted to $1,000. He
would be pleased to see fine with a
greater minimum than $40 an9 he
thought it would reduce the local price
Of fish If there were a law prohibiting
the shipment OF striped bass out of the
state
After an unsuccessful effort to secure
any very valuable information from
Nogelsang, Chairman Wolfe asked him
TO gather such data as he could for the
benefit Of the next legislature in draft
ing remedial laws
RETAILERS BLAMED FOR PRICES
G. W. Root. shipping clerk for the
Western FISH company, volunteered the
information that the retailers We're
making too great a profit on the fish
they handled.
John Finocchio of South San Fran
cisco, who controls the mussel market
was an unimportant witness, who de-
MED knowing anything of the opera
tions of the fish trust.
The committee then announced that
1t had concluded its investigation OF
the fish question and would turn the
evidence over to the district attorney
and the attorney general. In the near
future the committee will go into an
investigation of other food supplies to
determine whether the markets are
being cornered.
Cold storage plants in San Fran
cisco and vicinity will be visited in an
effort to gain information as to whether
or not prices are being kept up through
the operation Of cold storage plants.