Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-01-16

wardens should have authority 80
they could deal with the smacks COM |
ing with booze" with which more |
short Holsters could be bought than
with the same value in money.
He said the salary Of the director.
5000, was all right. but thought the
wardens should have IS a day AMI
expenses. Should have men capable !
OF real detective work. as every
known trick was resorted to by the
short lobster dealers.
Mr.. Crie told the committee that
in his judgment $4,000 was not suf5-
cient to purchase seed Holsters in the
quantity which they should be tax
en- by the State to properly propa-
gate that fish. The commission had the
right, under the law, to pay Is per
cent. more than the market price. bpt
during the year 1913. they had allow
ed only market price to the fisher
men. If the State did not by these
seed Holsters the fishermen rubbed
the eggs off and then sold the lob
sters and there was that loss to the
industry.
Rep. Alliston NJ. Hatch Of Stoning-
ton interrupted to say that he want
ed to take exceDtions4o that state
ment. He was lobster fisherman
and all fishermen did not brush the
eggs eff. Many Of them put their
seed Holsters back themselves wheth-
er the State bought or not. These
men understood that every time they
destroyed seed lobster they were
injuring themselves.
Mr.. Crie replied that he was pleas
&c this statement was made. as it
was true some fishermen did take
that course. but that majority Of
them did not but did brush the eggs
off. Mr.. Hatch took exceptions to
this. saying he had been fisherman
for 25 years and knew that the men
did not do 50. The commissioner said
, that might be true in Mr.. Hatcii's
section. but it did not apply all along
the coast.
He felt that the pay Of the commits
sioners should be changed. The ap-
propriatiOns for their expnss i'm 1913
wre $500, but it cost $4,000. Two mem
bers Of the commission. he told the
committee. were very able men, who
received s25 day in their private
work. He felt that the State should
allow them more than the compensa
; tion provided. They ought to get
half what they received in their pci-
ratc business. Answering a question
! by Rep. Barnes he said that one OF
, the commissioners put in about 90
days last year for the commission
and the other about II. He felt that
three men were necessary for the
commission. They could. If the State
would pay for the time, devote all
their time to the work and find
enough to do. In his Judgment it
would be money we'll expended if the
state could afford to do this. He did
not think that one man could take
| the place Of the commissioners and
| the director of fisheries and do the
work as well as it was done in 1913.
Personally he had devoted nearly Ill
his time in 1918 10 the work Of the
commission. but had only charged
for about half of it.
Mr. Crie told the committee that
whereas 40 years ago the entire coast
of Maine was dotted with alewives
fisheries. today that industry was
| gone; that instead Of being one IF
the principal feature of the fisher,
IS' li-dt4StiS VI tiIe dIc IL WAS no
more. He attributed this to lack Of
protection. Unless the fisheries of the
State were given proper protection
the lobster and other fisheries would
follow the pogie and become extinct.
|, Last year, he said, the commission
was unable to devote but little at
tntion to tn clans, herring, smelt and
similar fisheries. They did eXpend
! about $500 in planting clans. The
plar was that probably another
spring it would be possible to dig
these flats putting back all clans IN
der two inches. They would then be
rcdug in about five months.
Answe ring an inquiry by Rep. Bean
! of Minot, Mr.. Crie said that when Il
warden was found that did not 90
! his duty he was fired. That in 1918
three wardens were discharged for
failure to do their work He added
that there were number of other
wardens who would be let go for the
same reason.
Hearing adjourned to 23o Thursday
afternoon.