Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-21
HEARING ON FISH
BILL IS CONCLUDED


kradiction to statements made by
Joseph H. Crawford, of the Star, and
James Matthews. State fish and game
commissioner of New Jersey. that
the fish taken from the waters of
that State were sent to New York.
Mr.. Downs made the declaration that
most of the fish taken from New Jer-
sey waters was shipped to Philadel-
phia and Baltimore.
Feared Boycott.
II was only a few minutes before
ne made this assertion that Fish
Commissioner Matthews had related
how he had gone to a fisherman in
New Jersey last summer and asked
him how much the New York dealers
were paying him for fish. The fisher
man replied. zone and a half cents
pound Commissioner Matthews
then bargained with the man to send
SIX barrels of fish to Paterson for
which he would receive four cents a
pound. Later that order was increas-
ed to twenty barrels, but in day or
two the fisherman sent word TO the
fish commissioner that he would not
ne allowed to send the fish at any
price, for If he did the New York
dealers would boycott him and he
would not be able thereafter to sell
them any fish.
tUnited States Fish Commissioner
Smith toward the end of the hearing
asked to be allowed to have incor-
porated in the minutes the statement
that the bureau of fisheries had not
originated this bill, nor was Ii seeking
additional responsibilities in the mat
ter.
Congressman Jones inquired If there
had been any decrease in the supply
rtf ri ne fish af late thar is
fish not of the kind known as mi
gratory.
DR. Smith replied that there had
been no falling off in marine fish ex-
eept in mackerel. There had been a
phenomenal run of that fish in 1885
and for some reason not accurately
accounted for there had been fall
ing off in the supply of mackerel ever
since.
on the matter of the decrease in
the supply of edible fish Representa-
tive Linthicum presented a table of
figures showing that the steady de-
crease in the catch of shad and her
ring in Maryland waters in the last
ten years was appalling. The yield
of shad in Maryland in 1890 was more
than 1000 900. Ten years later they
had dwindled down TO 3,1f11S. In
1912 the supply had decreased still
more until il was 1,912.249 pounds
Last xsars figures have not been
tabul9Ped as yet. but the decrease is
still going on to an alarming extent
IF something is not done soon to
conserve our supply Of fish food the
industry viii soon be thing of the
past." concluded Mr.. Linthicum.
Congressman Rufus Hardy, of Tex
as. told the committee that the fish,
srnen of his State In the neighbour
hood of Galveston were also expert
encing difficulties with the Ash sup
ply and were asking for protection.
Iris representative declared that IL
was the duty of the federal govern
tuenf to step in and help conserve the
Ash supply, as the evidence given be-
fore the committee showed that the
various States did not agree on
proper conservation methods.
Called Unconstitutional.
Congressman Jones implied that
the entire matter was unconstitu-
tional. Congressman Alexander ex-
plsined that the constitutionality OF
a bill was unusually the first thing
the committee took up when bill
aanae before II, but he had been busy
on other hearings and had just ar
rived from Europe and in this Ing
stance the constitutional aspect had
been overlooked. He assured the
representative from Virginia that this
3l1ase of the matter would be looked
into some time after Thursday of
z.ext week. This was as near as tho
chairman would go at this time in
rtatiaE when the next hearing would
ne hel5