Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-13

whole. But of those fertiliZed only an
other small percentage survives. Bigger
Of food. artificial pollution of waters
these and a thousand other causes make
the struggle for existence a desperate
one.
Then the f1ttest that have survived are
eagerly sought by fishermen. Overash-
ing is common. Presently the species be-
gins to disappear. Not enough eggs are
laid to keep the species in existence
Here steps in the bureau of fisheries.
1t strips the female Of her eggs, 1t fer
tilizes them, it causes them to hatch, and
then it nurses and cares for the fry in in
fancy: fosser-mothers them till they grow
into "fngeriings" or beyond. and are
competent to care for themselves. Then
the bureau turns the youngsters loose.
That is called restocking a stream or
other fishing ground.
To express It in the vernacular, the bu :
reau of fisheries has 1t all over the real
mother fish in tringing up young. The
percentage of loss in infancy is remark
ably small by comparison with what hap
pens when the business is left entirely in
the hands Of Nature and the mother fish.
during the last fiscal year the bureau
turned loose into the waters of the coun-
try nearly 20.OOO.0O0 ingeri.ngs, yearlings
and adult fish of various varieties.
In addition. 1t planted nearly 800 Co.,
OC0-just think what billion means-of
fry, or tiny fish not long emerged from
the egg stage. And that is not all. 1t
furnished to state and private ha,caeries
for artificial propagation more than 422, :
100000 fertile eggs.
Ncw d.. ,nis york of artificial propaga-
ton of food fishes, with its direct result
on the ever-present common enemy. the
high cost of living. Is only part of what
the bureau of fisheries does to help sup
ply the people of the country with cheap
fish food Nevertheless. the cost of the
operations to the public is remarkably
small.
1t figures out about cent per capita
Of population per annun-that is. one
family of five pays in the course OF
a moving picture show for all the work
that the bureau Of fisheries does.
The bureau, by the way, Is one arm OF
the government that has no real author
ity over the subject with which 1t deals.
Save only in Alaska. which is federal
territory, 1t has no voice whatever in the
making of fishing regulations. All the
police powers" affecting the fishing in
The federal bureau may only help in
crease the supply, advise. guide, furnish
the result Of Its scientific researches, but
1t cannot control.
Hence the results 1t has accomplished
are al the more remarkable.
Another remarkable 'hir~ about this
important bureau Of the Department of
Commerce is lhat the man u. tae .eaj
of 1t has been in the work for so long a
period. Few men high in the public
service have such a record OF contin-
uous employment as DR.. Smith. Let him
tell something about the growth and
work of the bureau.
Prior to 1871 said he. there was no
branch Of the United States government
especially charged with the considera-
ton Of fisheries affairs. although fishery
questions Of greater or less import, some
domestic. some foreign, had been aris-
ing ever since the achievement of ma
tional independence. Several of the
states had already established fish COM