Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-01-26
|HAINES WELL BACKED IN
LOBSTER INDUSTRY PLEA.
Supported by Senators Burleigh and john
son, and congressman Kinds, Peters, Guern=
sey and McGillicudy Before the Bureau
OF Fisheries at Washington, D. &.

the past few years, as he had seen IL
grow from a few hundred to 1o0oo'
which was the number secured by him
in 1913.
Among the dealers who testiheo
were Trefethen of Portland, who said
the dealers were in sympathy with
the laws to protect: MeClune OF
Rockland and Willard of Portland. who
all agreed that uniformity of laws was
desirable, but declined to say how
they thought the new method would
work out until they had more infor-
nation regarding it.
After the testimony of the Maine
men had been completed, DR.. Smith.
commissioner of the Bureau of FISH
cries, talked long and cordially to the
Maine men present He expressed the
conviction that the conference would
be beneficial and that it was now SIM
ply a matter of detail, as the govern
ment fully intended to protect ano
promite the lobster and fish industry
in Maine, and also In the entire eoun
try He promised that the government
would buy all lobster eggs offered Tor
sale by the dealers and fishermen on
the Maine coast, when the purchase OIL
Holsters ceased, and that price
would be agreed upon. He added that
he thought it proper that the unlteo
States should assume the entire ex'
pense of the hateheries. He said he
did not see how either the dealers or
the fishermen could be the losers by
the new method. The government
would pay for the eggs and the lob
sters could then be sold after the eggs
were stripped from them. DR.. Smith
referred to the great number of seed
Holsters obtained from Nova Scotia.
DIR. Smith announced his intention
of placing BEFORE the dealers and fish
ermen of the Maine coast towns and
cities a practical outline of lobster
culture by means Of lectures with full
/ illustrations These would show GER
tain facts that would both interest
and instruct Professor Herrick of the
Northwestern University has been Sc
cured to deliver these lectures. DR..
Smith stated that Maine got a larger
proportion of the money allowed for
lobster culture than did any other
state in the country, $4,000 being al
lowed that State in 1913. Dr. Smith
has recommended to the secretary of
commerce the establishment of a lob
ster rearing plant in Maine for the
holding and rearing of young Holsters.
He believes $4,000 would be sufficient
for that purpose. No such facilities
now exist at any of the established
stations, although Rhode Island has
done much affective work in this
way.
1t developed during the talk given
| by DR.. Smith that the pound at Penn
aquid was found not to be suitable for
the keeping of 5000 additional Holsters
for Maine, as was suggested, on ac-
count of it's fresh water and the pres
ence of cells in large numbers, and
DR.. Smith called attention to the fact
that cells had a remarkable appetite
for young Holsters In closing DR..
Smith said he believed that uniform
lobster laws should be enacted in
Maine, New Hampshire and Massa-
chusetts: that rearing plants should
be established; that the placing OF
| lobster fry should greatly be increas-
ed. He expressed nis appreciation of
the splendid work the State of Maine
is doing to promote the lobster indus
try and pledged himself to in no wise
! injure it by the introduction of less
desirable methods. Dr. Smith believes
that the proposed new method will
promote rather than decrease the lob
ster industry and that the dealers and
fishermen will soon find the sale of
eggs as satisfactory both financially
and regarding propagation as was the
purchase of seed Holsters.