Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-08-06
FISHwAY HEARING.
| Commissioner Parsons Thinks Ex-
pense Too Great for Experiment.

On the ground that tishway in the
big dam of the Bar Harbor & Union River
Power 20. would be an experiment, OF
doubtful value as providing a way for
alewives to reach spawning waters, Fish
and Game Commissioner Parsons, after
the hearing in Ellsworth last Thursday.
decided against ordering the power COM
pany to go to the great expense necessary
to construct the hshway.
There was a representative gathering OF
business men OF Ellsworth at the hear
ing in the board of trade room Thursday
afternoon. w. E. Whiting conducted the
case for the petitioners for the fishwsy,
and Henry NJ Hall appeared for the Bar
Harbor & Union River Power Co.
Evidence was taken tending to prove
that, for the past few years at least, ale
wives frequented the river in consider
able numbers, and that isndlocked and an
occasional sea salmon were taken below
the dam. For the power company, En-
gineer Smith testified that the expense
of constructing suitable fishwsy would
be approximately $4,000. Chief Game
Warden Perkins, who has had years OF
experience in the construction OF fishways
gave the opinion that ishway in the
dam would be impractical as far as ale
wives were concerned. Alewives, he said,
require a fishway OF very low grade,
which would carry the mouth of fishway
in this dam so far down stream 500 or 600
feet-thst the fish in passing up stream
could not be diverted to the fishwsy.
Commissioner Parsons, in announcing
his decision, said in substance:
"Bro. Hall made one statement, that the
commissioner was wholly disinterested.
shall have to take issue slightly with
that. The commissioner Is little preju-
diced, always, in favor OF tishways, but
tries to be as disinterested as he can.
ave have here in Ellsworth set Of
sportsmen, good citizens, all clamoring
for a tishway. They think they are en-
titled to it under the laws of the State Of
Maine; that the legislature kas not only
provided for fishways, but the State con-
otANAsAth AaS otAA NaAk IlftE VI n
across river which is inhabited by mi
grstory fish, without a fishway, is a public
nuisance.
Looking at it in an unpreiudiced msn-
ner, as we are bound to, that law must
be construed with reasonable common
sense, and you cannot ignore the expense,
although you might wish to in consider
| ing thes hshways. For instance, people
travelling the highway are entitled to
( equal shares OF it, INIT the individual must
step out OF the highway, leaving the whole
I OF 1t for the heavy truck or vehicle that
/ IS passing along.
Now the people here are asking for a
fishwsy for salmon and slewives. We
: have to look at the situation here. Aren't
/ the salmon practically taken care OF? |
know about those lakes that are screened.
/ The other lakes can be screened, so that
the salmon are practically taken care OF.
The question is right up to myself and
would be to the justice OF the supreme
court who might follow me: IL it reason
able, is it just to ask these dam owners,
no matter how much money they have, to
construct tishway that is going to cost,
say s25, 900? II it would cost $4,000 fifteen
years ago, certainly it would cost SIS, 900
to $50 900 at this time. Is it right to ask
them to construct that as an experiment?
II know something of the fishways in
the State OF Maine. Mr.. Perkins, thirty
two years q warden, is interested, IL any
mar te In AsiSraro He M n,,ts fiahuaya IN
every nook and corner OF the State we
can put them in. He says that fishway
tor alewiyes is impracticable.
al think the Ellsworth citizens are
reasonable, but at this time, with ale
wives industry decreasing in Maine,
should we ask the dam people to put in
hsawsy for alewiyes, which is only an
experiment, or should we wait?
"Bro. Hall made a statement that, il
conditions warranted it later, they
would build fishwsy. MIR. Hall. MY
impression Of what would be proper y
Wouldn't it be better, in fairness, to
wait and see whether the alewives con-
tinue to run up against this dam, and
il they do, later on try to see il il is
possible to erect a tishwsy that will pot
sle@ives by2 Down on the St. Croix
river, aIewives cannot go by a fishway
1856 feet long, built with good deal OF
expense. 1t is of no use to alewives.
''As it is, ! would like to see fishway
here, but must say cannot aoDscien-
tiously order fishway al this hearing.
In view of Mr.. Smiths testimony as to
expense and the testimony OF the former
engineer, together with Mr.. Perkins
opinion that he did not think fishway
would be practical, cannot see my way
clear to order the company to try the
experiment at this time"