Evening star., 1914-10-02
SPEAKS OF EVILS
OF RIVER POLLUTION
John M. Champion of Con-
necticut Alleges Loss of Mil
lions of Fish.
DESTRUCTION OF STOCK
BY ACID IN THE WATER
Also Deplores the Trapping and
Netting Observation-Disclosures
American Fisheries Society.


John NJ. Champion of Hartford, Conn.
state fish and game superintendent, to-
day drew a vivid picture of the evils of
river and stream pollution, in connec-
tion with the supply of food fishes, in
an address before the convention Of
the American Fisheries Society. in
session here at the New National Mu-
scum.
Mr.. Champion, who is one of the for
mer fish and game commissioners OF
Connecticut, declared that the forth
coming report of the state board OF
health of Connecticut will prove to be
an amazing document, in its revela-
tions concerning the extermiantion OF
the fish of his state by pollution of the
rivers and streams. and by trapping
and netting along the sound. He SAID
that no state, with the possible excep-
tion of New Jersey, had suffered more
in this respect than Connecticut, ana
that unless the Connecticut legisla-
ture this winter adopts some correc.
tive laws, an industry and source VI
food supply worth millions of doliars
to the people of the United states Will
be ruined.
t.. II
as the result of a discussion of a paper
presented yesterday afternoon py rep
resentative J. Charles Linthicum OF
Maryland. and certain recomnenoa
tions made a few days ago at the con-
vention of the Fisheries Soclety ny
Secretary Redfield of the Department
OF Commerce. Mr.. Linthicum IS tne au
thor of a bill placing migratory nsn
under federal control, and he scored
the conflicting state laws which make
violation and pollution of streams easy
alluding to the Potomac river ana the
Connecticut river as instances IN point.
Mr. Redfeld is an advocate OF larger
concentrations as we'll as enlarged
powers for the United states bureau
of fisheries.
Discusses Federal Control.
During the discussion today of these
ideas advanced by Mr.. Linthlcum anu
MIR. Redfeld, Supt. Champion SAID ne Is
an advocate of federal control to GER
tain extent He said he thought sucn
control would be particularly valuable
along the Long Island sound. where
nets and take silver sinners, little blue
fish, little mackerel and all Dait nSh
by the hundreds of thousands
THE Connecticut fisheries could De
made of great importance 20 the @ east-
ern United States as a source OF mex
pensive food supply" Mr. CHAMPION
said. Years ago there was any GUAM
tity of striped bass, sturgeon ana otner
fish in the Connecticut river. FapeI
mills, however, were started up around
Holyoke, Mass, and they use vitrloi
and other acids. the refuse going into
the Connecticut. Dye stuff got into
the rivers. too, from the hat manuIac-
tories of Connecticut. these pollutlng
substances effectually driving away the
greater proportion of the fish.
''The board of health of Connecticut
has taken this matter up this year, and
1 think their forthcoming report Will
be simply; amazing to the public In
the Housatonic and the Naugatuck
there Is now a terrible stencil. 1t would
almost seem that there could not be
living thing in the streams. There are
similar conditions along the Thames.
But now, in addition, the foreign
element along the shores OF Long Is
land sound are also giving great trou.
BILE, in the way they net hundreds OF
thousands of little fish. l took this
up with the Catholic clergy of Con-
nectfcut, to see If they could not per-
suade the men to be less rapacious, out
the reply was that it is hard to make
them understand that they must not
take what God has apparently put
there for them.
Huge Nets Used, He Says.
They use tremendous nets. These
the fish officials cannot control as to
size after June 81, under our laws. The
legislature must certainly act and
change the laws
Then. again. the smelt in the Thames
have been trapped until they are
rapidly disappearing. There have been
millions and millions of them. and upon
an occasion the first 127 snlelt opened
in the Connecticut market showed the
presence of colon bacilli.
The Connecticut river alone would
10 ~ doVI nd
great source of food supply if properly
conserved Shad come up there. but
nothing like in the quantities they
formerly did. Sturgeon and striped
bass formerly filed the river. Now
they are practically gone.
Mr.. Champion said that he agreed
with Representative Linthicum that
concerted action is needed to preserve
the fish industries from destruction in
manufacturing states He said he
thought that the federal government
should act, without waiting for the
states. in exterior waters, considering
the fact that in Connecticut eighty-six
nets had been set in the Long Island
sound at Pennington, upon one occa-
sion, within a mile and a quarter of
that town.
From Saybrook point to Bridgeport"
he said. they are netting by the mil
lion little fish which should be con-
served
Variance OF Views.
The question of federal control as
against state control was under discus
sion by the fish culturists and conser-
vationists, with various opposing views
presented. NJ l.. Alexander, president
OF the Louisiana conservation commits
sion, expressed himself as against fed
eral control Of state water, while John
W. Titconb, state commissioner of
fisheries and game of Vermont, said he
would have the federal government
take charge of the whole business
On motion of MIR. Alexander a COM
Inittee of three will be appointed this
afternoon by Henry B. Ward of Ilii-
nois. president of the society to con-
fer with Secretary Redfield and Hugh
II. Smith. United States fsh commits
sioner, to see how the society may aid