The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-03-03
BY EDWARD c. LOWRY
Copyright. Western Newspaper Union
EiAPHAZARD EXTENSION

HAPHAZARD EXTENSION
The Department Of Agriculture is
one instance of how governmental es-
Establishments grow and spread and eX-
tend their activities. once they get
started. The bureau Of fisheries, in
the Department OF Commerce, is an
other. Ii had ii modest beginning, and
not 80 very long ago. Prior to 1871
there was no branch of tie federal
government especially charged with
The consideration of fishery affairs.
Several of the states had established
nsh commissions and these state au-
thGTities, supported by private inter
estS, began to agitate for a national
bureau devoted to fishery interests.
SO it came about that by 1871 con-
gress was ready to yield and begin TO
make appropriations. The first Cne
Was for $1,000 and provided for u
commissioner of fish and fisheries to
prosecute investigations and inquiries
with the view of aScertaining Wheth-
er any and what diminutiOn in the
number of food fishes of the coast
and in the lakes OF the United States
has taken place; and also whether
any and what protective. pr0htbitory
or precautionary measures should be
adopted in the premises; and shall re
port upon the same to congress"
The commissioner was to draw no
pay for it was provided by congress
in the same joint resolution that he
should be a civil officer of the govern
ment of proved scientific and prac-
ticai acquaintance with the fishes Of
the coast, who should serve without
additional compensation. The then as
StStant secretary of the Smithsonian in
St1tutiOn, by name Spencer Fullerton
Baird, was chosen as the best man for
the job and so he proved to be. He
made the little acorn grow. He was
industrious and competent and knew
how to get along with congress. He
was diligent and he stood before kings.
See what happened.
Remember, he started out with
$1,000 to discover whether there had
food fishes along the coasts or in the
lakes. He was at the head Of an in
dependent investigation and reported
directly to congress. The thing was
kept alive by annual appropriations
as an Independent institution until
1908, when it was incorporated into
the newly formed Department of Com
I oh hn hllI. ,,f
fisheries.
BY 1909 the annual appropriation had
grown to $S03,920, and the bureau had
n permanent personnel of 80. AT
that time the land owned and occupied
by the bureau at its fish cultural and
biological stations had an aggregate
area of over 1900 acres, with value
of $240,000. The improvements and
equipment at these stations repre-
scented an investment of more than
S1,O00,000. Other property of the bu
reau at that time included four sea-
going steam and sail vessels 20 steam
launches and-150 small sail, power and
r0wboats, which with equipment had
p value of 100000. It's six fish-trans-
portatiOn cars were valued at $40, 900. |
Indeed, the total investment of the
government in fishery service property |
ran to about $1,5S5,000. That was
back in 1909
Well, it hasn't stopped growing; |
bigger and buster than ever as the adj |
vartiSements say The appropriation by |
congress for the fiscal year 1919 was |
S1,183, 40, and for 1921, $1.207, ITO. |
Besides what congress gave, the Pres |
ident allotted in 1918 and 1919, out of |
his private fund 'for the national Sc
curity and Defense" 100000 With the |
years of its growth and increasing |
funds the bureau had taken on many |
new functions and activities.
Until recently the bureau was ad- |
ministering to the best of its ability |
the laws relating to the terrestrial and i
arboreal fur bearers of Alaska. but |
the duty was homogeneous to its legiti- |
mate functions. Congress finally con-
coded that the pursuit of foxes does
not constitute a fishery. The cultiya !
ton of minks cannot be successfully !
conducted in a fish hatchery.
Apparently, as so many other estab- J
lishments under the executive branch i,
have, the fisheries service had become |
all cluttered up with duties and jobs |
it is not fitted or equipped to handle. |
All of which is q long, long way |
from an investigation of the possible |
diminution Of food fish along the coast.
l don't pretend to say of the fisheries
bureau that it has performed inefti
GENTLY either its proper work or the |
added activities that have been i'm
posed upon it. For all l know it !
may be and is great national bless
ing, and managed with maximum skill,
intelligence and real economy. l hope
1t is.
l cite it here only as an example of
a branch of governmental activity that |
has grown up haphazard from a small /
beginning to be a great, costly. far
spreading enterprise that by its own
confession is Overlaid with duties,
functions and activities unrelated TO
Its legitimate and essential business
the care, propagation and study of all