Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-02-10
FOR SEVEN LONG HOURS
Battle Of Wermen and Seiners Lasted
in Hall Of the House.

| For seven long hours the committee or
sea and shore fisheries listened to testi
mony and arguments at the big fisheries
hearing Thursday afternoon i'll the hal
, of the House, which was attended by be.
tween 800 and 300 fishermen from wa.
down east" representing both the seiner<
, and weirmen
Attorney Frederick w Hincliley oil
| Portland. who appeared in opposition to
| the bill which forbids fishing for herring
| in the waters OF the state except by per-
| manent weirs or traps, introduced an in
novation into legislative hearings by de-
manding that If any members of the COM
mittee were directly interested in n fl
nancial way in SEEMING or catching her
ring in weirs, step down. Chairman
Mayo asked the committee if any of them
came within the meaning of ths demand
and no one responded. Mr.. Hinekley in
sted by asking Senator Mayo If he was
interested in either seines or weirs. The
Senator replied that he was not and new
er had been Capt. Small of Machiasport
in reply to similar question directed at
him. replied that he was interested in
weir or two, but he didn't step down.
The men opposed to the weirmens bill
presented a substitute bill which gave
them a chance to establish portable weirs
made Of Irvine, instead of permitting
the brush welrmen to have a monopoly
of the business. Hon George NJ. Han
son of Calais. attorney for the welrmen.
accepted certain parts of this substitute
bill. but would not accept other parts
OF it This first bill was presented to the
committee in arguments only.
The hearing reached the second stage
when Mr.. Hanson submitted third BILL
differing in some essentials from either
the committee bill or the seiners' bill. on
this last bill witnesses Were called and
the principal hearing held. The weirmen
claim that the history of the herring fish
cries will be the same as the history OF
the determination of the porgies ana
nackerel, if free SEEMING was not stopped.
Elisha w Pike of PASSPORT, represent
ing the Eastport Board of Trade said II
gave him pleasure to appear in the in
terests of the conservation of the hsh
interests of the state of Maine ON which
the 800 citizens of his city depend abso-
lutely for support. He accused the weir
men of having been in Augusta since the
opening of the Legislature seeking TO
pack the committee and use other UNFAIR
means to further their interests. He en-
dorsed the bill presented by Mr.. Hinckley
and said that his only objection to 1t was
that it would not be enforced.
Commissioner of Sea and Shore Fish
cries James Donahue of Rockland was
asked his opinion as to movable traps or
weirs and he said that they were injuri-
Gus, just as any trap was injurious to
just the extent that it reduces the mum
Der of fishes to be caught lie was of
the opinion that the weirs produced good
fish and ii was the best way 10 eaten
them. Representative Harmon of Stoh-
ington opened up the question of herring
for bait for lobster fishermen and SAID
that Will there were other kinds of bait
that can be used herring are considered
the best and If that supply was cut OFF
the lobster industry would be handi-
capped.
Herbert W Joyce of Swans Island.
packer and a fisherman for 20 years. as
a sencr Of porgics. said that he thought
that any style of scining would eXtin-
guish the herring just as the porgies aud
mackerel have been cXtermnated Th"
witness said he had heard fears expressed
| that the herring would be extermlnated
Capt Herrick of Swans lslan9 de-
| scribed the disappearance of meckerel
| from the coast and ascribed it to SEM
| ing. Capt Alfred r. Welch said weirs
| such as either side wanted to legaize
| were called fake" weirs. Andrew Clark
! Of the firm of L. b, Clark & Son of East
port was also among those present In
the interests of the weirmen 1t was IL
p NJ. before the witnesses were all eN-
amined and the closing arguments begun.