The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1922-04-06

M.
HAPHAZARD EXTENSION


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. 1t had a modest beginning, and
/ not so very long ago. Prior to 1871
there was no branch of the federal
/ government especially charged with
the consideration of fishery affairs
/ Several of the states had established
/ fish commissions and these state au-
thoritieS, 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 one
was for $1,000 and provided for a
( commissioner of fish and fisheries to
/ prosecute Investigations and inquiries
! with the view of ascertaining wheth-
or 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, prohibitory
T 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
. III the same joint resolution that he
should be civil officer OF the govern
ment, of proved scientific and prac-
teal acquaintance with the fishes Of
( the coast, who should serve without
/ additional compensation. The then as
/ SiStant secretary of the Smithsonian in
St!tution, 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
5000 to discover whether there had
been any diminution of the supply Of
/ food fishes along the coasts or in the
lakes He was at The head Of an in
depeudpu; Investigation and reported
directly 10 congress. The thing was
kept alive by annual appropriations
as an independent institution until
1903, when it was incorporated into
the newly formed Department of Com
myrce and Labor as the bureau Of
fisheries.
Ey 1909 the annual appropriation had
/ grown 90 SSO3920 and the bureau had
u permanent personnel of 32J. 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 a value
of $4,000. The Improvements and
equipment at these stations repre-
scented an investment of more than
$l,OOOOOO. Other property Of the bu-
reau at that time included four sea
going steam and sail vessels, 20 steam
launches and $50 small sail. power and
/ rowhoats. which with equipment had
a value Of 100000. It's six fish-trans-
I portation cars were valued at $4,000.
/ Indeed, the total investment of the
government in fishery-service property
ran to about $1,5S5O0O, That was
| back IN 1909.
Well, it hasn't stopped growing;
bigger and buster than ever, as the ad-
vertisements say. The appropriation by
congress for the fiscal year 1919 was
/ S1.1S314 and for 1921, S1207, 40.
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 adj
! miniStering to the best of its ability
the laws relating to the terrestrial and
arboreal fur bearers of Alaska, but
the duty was incongruous to its legiti-
mate functions. Congress finally con
ceded that the pursuit of foxes does
not constitute a fishery. The cultiva-
ton of mnks cannot be successfully
conducted in a fish hatchery.
Apparently, as so many other estab-
lishments under the executive branch
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 a long, long way
from an investigation of the possible
diminution of food fish along the coast
don't pretend to say of the fisheries
bureau that it has performed ineffi-
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 a great national bless
ing and managed with maximum skill,
intelligence and real economy. l hope
it is.
| cite 1t here only as an example of
q branch of governmental activity that
has grown up haphaZard from a small
beginning to he a great costly. far
spreading enterprise that by its own
confession is oyerlaid with duties,
functions and activities unrelated to
it's legitimate and essential business
the care, propagation and study Of aD
pnonnar If food fsTs