Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1914-11-20
TO THE PEOPLE

county papers a STATEMENT Ill re-
gard to the arrest and convic-
ton of one A. N. Bones of Taft,
Oregon, who had been accused
OF ILLEGAL gill-net fishing in the
Siletz river. Said item stating
that the accused had been tried
and convicted before Justice of
the Peace Berry of Newport, Or.
| feel very much inclined to
inform the patrons of the county
papers, also those who are not
patrons of county papers. that
such an assertion is an erron-
eous statement and of decep-
tive origin.
have never been unfortunate
enough to have been convicted,
nor tried, nor even in presence
of Mr.. Berry in any of his Judi
cial Courts.
| shall very candidly admit
that was confronted by an Of
ficer of the law who served pc
pers on me, stating that l had
been operating a gill-net con-
trary to the Noble Fishing Laws
of the State of Oregon.
Said paper containing no sig
nature of the individual who
acted as an officer of the law
and served them upon me.
] shall admit that I appeared
before Mr.. Gerttula, who is man
ager of the Elmore Packing
Co.'S establishment situated on
Siletz bay, and paid the sum of
$4,000 to rectify and atone for
the sin l had committed. All
well and good so long as every
thing renders in accordance with
the law Of right and there is no
friction but there is almost in
variably a friction point.
/ have noticed very carefully
for the past few years and it has
dawned upon my imaginative
mind that it is generally be-
lieved by the intelligent God
fearing class of people residing
in the state of Oregon that the
inhabitants surrounding Siletz
bay and it's tributaries have
sunken into a state Of moral,
mental and social degeneracy
in which there Isl absolutely no
respect for law or mankind.
The individuals who are on
forcing the laws of Oregon also
{ believe this and in order to make
a reputation or maintain their
present positions deputize some
one whom they are satisfied
will tell a falsehood or suffer
any inconvenience to make n
few pennies off the common
laborer who is endeavoring in
the sweat of his face to earn
what his babies need for the
sustenance of their infant lives
through the coming Winter.
AndSiletz is where they appear
especially during the fishing
season. They certainly are
aware of the fact that it is al
most impossible in this certain
part of the country for the indi-
vidual to leave his occupation
and arrive at a destination to
make the necessary arrange
ments for trial. And they are
aware also Of the fact that the
fishermen (he is the victim they
are after) would risk a
chance Of losing the principal
part OF the eeason's catch il he
did an eavor TO stand them q
test.
So, then, they make their ap-
pearance upon the river at an
hour of the day CD that no in
dividual, save a thief, would at
tempt. Hunting up the sus'
poets net, they proceed at tht
stake-tied end and measures
very carefully, painfully anC
slowly toward the buoy line.
, Done at last! Length Of net
I forty fathoms, and the Sileti
river in its broadest bed scarce
, ly taps one hundred fathoms
) So the net in length is over ont
third of the rivers width. TIL,
party who controls the net ha!
violated the fishing laws of tn
State Of Oregon. The THE
who enforces the absolutel.
necessary fishing laws has en-
tirely forgotten that the net ex
y tends at an angle down stream
r and not directly across, and tn
individual who operates the con
! cern is not intelligent {?
. enough to realize such an erro
s In the officials report.
d The question then naturall
: arises: What becomes Of tn
money that is paid for thes
d fines?
d What becomes of the none
Nj =