The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1921-12-30

Reference was made to the fact
that the leading ichthyologists in
1920 announced that they have dem
onstrated the correctness of the sal
mon parent stream theory. The re-
port says that prior to this, the Fish
erieS Department had proven it be-
yond the shadow of of controversy
by building up the runs in certain
streams and inaugurating entirely
new runs in other streams.
Declaring that each year the
worlds fish supply grows scarcer the
cport directs attention to the many
valuable species of food fish, which
abound in the waters of this state,
which are not at the present time
made great use of.
In 1920 the value of the clans,
mussels, crabs, smelt, shad. herring,
etc, taken from the waters of the
State of Washington was 2S6,676.2l.
The value Of the canned salmon pro-
duct during the bennium of 1920
was s1T,4S7,59752.
The number Of fishing licenses is
sued in 1919 was 6,638 and in 1920
5,262. The total number of salmon
taken from the waters during the BIZ
ennium was 13,14O,576, and the
amount of money paid to the fisher
mea for these salmon was $9,131,-
760.63.
Attention is directed to the recent
development of the purse seine as
taker of fish, the report showing that
during three out Of the last six years
the purse senes, which only operate
in two out of four districts in the
state, succeeded in taking more than
fifty pen cent of all the fish taken.
All the other appliances combined,
including the fish traps, fish wheels,
gill nets and set nets. etc, taking less
thar fifty per cent.
The decrease in the salmon pack in
1920 is attributable to the fact that
many cannerse did not operate be-
cause of the large supply OF canned
salmon remaining on hand because of
the enormous canning operations car
ried on in 1919 in this state, Alaska
and British Columbia.
One of the great reserve forces of
wealth is declared to be the oyster re-
serves which, as a result of improve
ments during the last eight wears,
are already producing a supply of
seed oysters in excess of demands and
from which the state is now selling
merchantable oysters.
Despite the paternalistic attitude of
the state in supplying the oyster
growers with seed oysters at very
cheap prices. the price of merchant
able oysters has tremendously in
creased in the last ten years.
The report points out that the state,
as result of improvements made,
will within the next year or two be in
a position to sell thousands of sacks
of merchantable oyster which, f
done, should effect / reduction N
price and permit the people of the
state to again make use of them as
an article of food At the same TIM,
the revenue derived therefrom ca
pay a no mean percentage of the op-
Grating cost of the state
An experiment making use f
pleciptate of lime is reported to the
Department, by the scientists IN
charge Of the work, to have induced
a larger growth in the native of
Olympia oyster shells.
The Department is declared to have
been benefited financially to the ex-
tent of $4,000 by the sale of spawn
ed fish from the hatcheries during the
war years, while at the same time the
PEOPLE were given an opportunity 20
purchase salmon in some instances as
low as from one-fourth to one-fifth of
the prevailing prices. Large guam
titles were also given to the state in
stitutions that desire them.
reference is made to the number
of new hatcheries and eyeing stations
established during the biennium and
to the necessity of the construction of
still more hatcheries. if the salmon
runs are to be maintained.
Prof. Victor F. Smith, of the Uni
versity of Washington, who has made
an exhaustive study of the Washing
ton state hatcheries, is quoted to
show the superiority of the hatchery
system over natural propagation.
Reference is made to the fact that
h 1921 session of the Legislature in
"reased the salmon catch tax from six
hundred to twenty-five hundred per
cent
"If it is desirable to thus increase
the tax burden of the fishing industry
Of the state, says the report. "it is
in my judgment far better to use the
increased funds so received in assist
ins to pay the ordinary running ex-
penses of the state, and thus tighten
the burden Of the general tax payer.
thar il is to throw this money ava.
IN needless and unnecessary duplica-
tiN0 of work which rasultS in los