Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-25
DELAWARE CITY
MEN URGE USE OF
NETS IN THE CANAL
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mon In Delaware City make their
living In winter by doing the same
thing. He knows OF no complaint OF
interference with boat traffic because
OF the nets. German carp destroy
game Ash in the canal, and multiply
very rapidly. lie has had an Income
OF 500 month during fishing sea
son. Delaware City fishermen make
$1,000 to $4,000 a year this way. ho
believes. Fishing has been An I'm
portnnt industry for the town. While
fishing In done In the river for shad,
trout, herring and sturgeon. during
tho spring and summer, tho canal
affords tho only opportunity In winter.
Therefore any restriction would be
hardship. without restrictions watch
men wcre unnecessary also. an tho
fishermen were not complained
against. Tho laws OF Deiawnre. he
pointed out, permit tho use OF nets
In the canal. lie petitioned for restora-
ton OF the old order Of things and
promised not To interfere with trafYic.
J Harry G. Nickle, also Of Delaware
! City--He has fished with five-inch
mesh nets in the canal and feeders
for 80 years almost continuously be-
tween October and April each. lie in
dorses Mr.. O'Neal's statement. He
stated that after the restricting order
went into effect, December %. 1921, ht
tried fishing in the feeders. but out
side the canal banks, but was ordered
10 discontinue doing SO by Nathanie
Smith. the government officer patrol
ling the banks. Mr.. Nickle considered
he was not on government property
lbut he obeyed the officers order never
theless.
William ]. Wingate OF Delawar
City-He was employed as lock ten
der almost continuously since 1875!
except during i've years OF the CIV
War. lie never heard boatmen com
n plain Of interference from fishermen
though they used nets I'm the wid
u waters OF the canal. The old cant
8 company never interfered with th
fishermen until recently. after Thoma
: ]. Cleaver was made superintendent
He made some objection TO the use {
- enforce his objections. the ground Il
II his objections being for the purpo:
OF protecting the Game Associate
u and the Anglers Association I'm Del;
Y ware, but not because Of any cbstru
p" tion TO navigation caused by nets
He knows most of the fishermen al
p" says they are law abiding.
u" Gibbons Durham Of Delaware CT
For seven years he was canal bridl
!" tender at Delaware City. He nev
heard of any complaint about q
fishermen using nets and said tn
did not obstruct traffic. AS many Del
ware City families make their livii
by catching carp he said they wou
ss suffer a hardship II such fishing we
ie prohibited in the canal.
I Frank Collins, who worked for {
- canal company when the canal "
;" taken over by the government, a
ne who afterward worked there for {
rs government, wrote that he had new
~ seen the channel obstructed by net
&c in fact, he never saw nets used IN {
channel. He considered the ne WORD
VI n hardship.
H. There seemed 70 be a general pl
w test against the employment OF
e' deputy warden to patrol tho car
considering II unnecessary and a ne'
ei less expense.
Mr.. Eastburn read the statements
MesHs. O'Neal. Nickle, WinEate, Dl
rs ham and Collins, on which the abb
"o is the substance
I'M W.. o-l pA1
Mr.. Eastburn stated II was not
desire 10 secure a modification of
regulations. but to have them entir
revoked He said that the regulati
lis were made on the ground that ma
~ cation had been interfered with.
est said no complaints had been mi
re- about the hampering OF navigati
ID c. Earl Baum, cashier of the Dc
er ware City National Bank. said
re-. order had resulted in a falling of
ere thousands Of dollars in bank depOs
zen He said the falling OF had been V
noticeable. and that the fishermen
suffering.
Joseph Anderson. who has been
Do gagged in fishing for nifty years. E
ees navigation had never been impai
ge. by the work. He complained OF h
ers and line fishermen violating the ga
at laws by fishing on Sunday.
Gibbons Durham stated that he