Evening star., 1915-12-18
Secretary RedfieId Sounds
Note of Warning of Ex-
tinction of Shad.
SECOND SECTION FEATURE
IN HIS ANNUAL REPORT
Calls Attention to Certain Injustice
Worked on Employees of Depart
ment of Commerce.

Warning of the extinction of the shad
OF Chesapeake bay and its tributaries,
with the federal government and the
governments of two states standing
helplessly by. is sounded by Secretary
Redfeld of the Department of Com
merce in the second section of his
annual report, made public today. This
section deals principally with the prob
lens Of the bureau of fisheries and the
coast and geodetic survey. It tells at
some length of the efforts OF the De-
partment Of Commerce to promote the
food dsh industry OF the country.
The Secretary also in this section
worked on the employees in his de-
partment by the Limitation Of per diem
expenses to IS day.
He cites what he terms isolated cases
whe1 the employees are forced to spend
almost half their salaries in addition
to the per diem allowance in order to
meet their expen-es in travelling and
performing work for the government.
He urges that the Secretary be given
power to regulate the per diem allow
ance within certain reasonable limits.
AdIoSQlp IN DepafLmeuC.
Hardship worked on the Department
Of Commerce by the law prohibiting
government employees from using gov
ernment funds in attending any meet
ing or convention is explained by Sec
retary Red1eld. who says that much
money has been spent by the govern
ment in gathering information des-
tined to promote trade, and yet the
agents cannot visit meetings of COM
mercial bodies throughout the country
and give this information first hand
to the people. who the government
intended should have 1t.
1T is absurd" he said, that an ofi-
GER of the United States. having gath
cred at public cost valuable informa-
tion for the benefit of manufacturers
all over the land, should not be per-
mitted to lay those facts before con-
vention of such manufacturers except
at his own personal expense or when
some other reason for his presence
can be contrived."
He recommends that the naval crews
of the vessels Albatross and Fish Hawk
of the fisheries service be supplant-
ed by civilian crews.
Discussing the reduced output of
some of the fishes, he says that most
noteworthy and more serious of the
cases OF diminished production is that
of the shad in the Chesapeake basin,
where the hatcheries were practically,
put out of commission because the fish
could not reach their spawning
grounds on account of impossible bar
riers Of nets in Chesapeake bay and at
fishing Industry of Maryland and vir-
ginia is being steadily destroyed. 1t Is
hardly worth while longer to run the
hatcheries at Havre de Grace (SusQue-
hanna river) and Bryans point (Poto-.
mac river).
shad May Go Way Of Sturgeon.
'"rhe most valuable Of the migratory
river fishes Of the Atlantic seaboard is
the shad," he says. "It is taken for
market in every coast state from Flor
ida to Maine. and since colonial days
has contributed largely to the food
supply and wealth of the country. The
question is now being seriously asked
whether the shad is destined to go the
way of the sturgeon. The depa rtment
has repeatedly sounded the note OF
alarm. and has pointed out the short
sighted and destructive course pursued
by some of the states with reference
to this most important Ash. The most
serious condition exists In the Chesa-
peake basin. where. in 1915. the fishery
was the poorest ever known. following
a season that was the poorest in a gen.
Grafton. The shad, coming in from the
sea on its way to the spawning grounds
in fresh water, receives no protection
other than that afforded by the laws
requiring certain channels or ranges
to be kept open for the passage of ves-
sells and boats. Shad hatcheries built,
maintained and operated by the fed
eral government at great expense have
practically been put out OF commission
by the inability to obtain eggs for
Matching purposes, and a calamitous
failure Of the crop in the near future
may be expected as a result of the
present foolish policy or absence OF
policy.
Revision Of Fishing Laws Urged.
Much space is given in his report to
the work of the fisheries service and
the efforts TO increase the food supply
on the continental United States. OF
Alaska, he says. the season of 1914
was the most prosperous in the his
tory of general fisheries of that terri
tory.
A general revision of the fishing
laws of that territory should be made.
he said, in order that the department
may properly discharge its functions
and obligations. He says that Con-
gress will be asked to provide further
facilities for enforcing the fishery laws
there by providing for additional ves-
sells.
The dual control over certain indus
tries of Alaska by the Alaskan legis-
lature and the Department of COM
MERGE is condemned by Secretary Red
field. Clearly he says, 'if the terri
tory Of Alaska has joint right of con-
troll over the whole or any portion Of
such fisheries, the plans of the Depart
ment of Commerce for their growth and
may meet with serious in
terferehce and the result may be most
harmful TO the industry" He sug-
gestS that fisheries should be taken
from the territorial jurisdiction.
He asks that the department be re-
lieved of the custody over fur-bearing
whose pursuit does not con-
stitute fishery.
A Joint committee of Congress, he
says, should visit the Pribilof Islands o.
in the summer OF 1915.
Lack of Vessels for Survey Work.
Difficulties in obtaining compliments
FOR the vessels of the coast and geo.
ietic survey on the Pacific coast are
pointed out by the Secretary, who says
hat they are paid lower than seamen
md nremen of other branches of the
federal service. or of the private ships.
For this reason. 1t Is difiicult even to
ret a crew, to say nothing to be able
% keep them and train them for the
highly important work Of coast sur
feying. Illustrations are used In the. &.
'eport to show. by comparison. that
quota of ships and a larger force Of
men for such work than the United
states, the United States has a coast
inc more than three times larger than