Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-02-07
FISHERIES BUREAU.
important Federal Department
Had Very Small Beginning.
Work 10 Under Three General Heads
Of Scientific Investigation, Fishery
inquiry and Fish culture-About &
$50 Persons In Bureau.

Washington. Fish. being one OF
the most important foods, has been
the subject Of consideration since the
achievement OF our national independ.
ence. But while several states had
fish commissions, and the American
Fish Culture association, now the
American Fisheries society. was In OK
istence prior to 1871, mo branch OF
the government was charged with this
question until that year. But mat.
tiers of Importance arising Of both .
foreign and domestic nature. congress-
was Influenced to pass an act creating
the Office of commissioner Of fish
and fisheries In 1871, its duties being
to prosecute investigations and In.
Quiries on the subject, with view Of
ascertaining whether any and what
diminution in the number Of food fish
of the coast and the lakes Of the Unit
ed States had taken place; and
II SO. to what causes the same
is due; and also whether any and
what protective, prohibitory or precau-
tionary measures should be adopted
In the premises"
Although nothing was attached to
the position of commissioner OF fish
and fisheries but honor and glory"
man, regarded as prominently quail
flied for the new position was found,
and Spencer Fullerton Baird, then as
sistant secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution, was given the appoint
ment. Commissioner Baird entered
upon his duties at once, and continued
as the head of the commission until
his death in 1877. Succeeding him
came Dr.. George Brown Goode. emf
nent as an ichthyologist and fishery
expert, who had been Prof. Baird's
assistant. After less than years
time, however, DR.. Goode voluntarily
gave up the commissionership to de-
vote his entire time to the National
museum, of which he was director.
Next came Commissioner Marshall
Mcdonald, practical fish culturist and
inventor of important mechanical ap-
planes now used in the Matching Of
fish all over the world, who, like Com
missioner Baird, served until his death,
In 1895. Commissioner Mcdonald was
the first salaried head Of the commits
sion. Following him came Capt. John
J. Brice, retired naval officer, who
held the Office for two years, and was
succeeded in 1898 by George Meade
Bowers, the present commissioner.
Until 1903 the bureau was known
as the United States commission Of
fish and fisheries" and was an indie
pendent institution Of the government,
responsible directly to congress. In
that year it was included in the new
department of commerce and labor,
becoming the United States bureau of
fisheries. -
From the outset the work Of the
bureau naturally fell under the three
general heads of scientific investiga-
ton, fishery inquiry and fish culture.
This same classification, extended and
perfected, enters into the organiza-
ton at the present time. Approx.
mately $50 persons form the present
personnel OF the bureau, Of whom all
but about 80 are at outside stations.
laboratories or on vessels. The land
owned and occupied by the bureau at
its fish cultural and biological sta
tons covers an aggregate area OF 49,
600 acres, with value of $4,000. I'm
provements and equipments at these
stations represent more than $1,000.
900, willis other property of the bu'
reau includes four seagoing steam and
sail vessels, 20 steam launches and 15C
small sail. power and row boats, which
with equipment, are valued at about
100000. Six fish transportation cars
are worth $4,000. The aggregate In
vestment of the national government
in property devoted to the fishery serv'
! ice, Is thus about $1,585,000. And
for its work and no salary for its
| head!
AZ the time Of the formation of the
bureau artificial propagation OF fishes
was not contemplated, but was insti
tuted by an act of congress- a year
| after it's establishment. The fishes
| to which attention was first given
were the shad, Atlantic salmon and
| whitefish. The work proved SO popu
lar that It was extended annually, and
soon overshadowed all other branches
The policy followed by the bureau, az
enunciated by DR.. Goode, has beer
that it is better to expend small
amount Of public money in making
fish SO abundant that they can be
caught without restriction and serve
as cheap food for the people at large
than to expend a much larger sum In
preventing the people from catching
the fish that still remain after genera
tions Of improvidence.
A few days ago the treasury de
partment gave out a news item, that
q " , HE t,,nl L.