Evening star., 1924-05-02
PRESIDENT DEFENDS
HOOVER FISH BILL
Urges Passage Of Measure, Backed
by Secretary, to Prevent No
nopolies and Privileges
CITES PLEA IN MESSAGE
Coolidge Declares Action Vital Il
Protect Fisheries.

Taking sides with Secretary
Hoover in advocating legislation t.
| conserve the Alaskan fisheries,
President Coolidge sent a 1ettey
| yesterday to Chairman Jones of the
Senate commerce committee urging
| prompt passage Of the pending bill
to prevent monopolies and special
privileges in the fisheries and the
establishment of preserves.
The letter of the President was
made public at the White House -Ano
followed closely on the Statement
| issued yesterday by Secretary Hoo
oppose the measure on its merits
ratk er than "slandering the men who
have the responsibility of protecting
the fishing interests" ~
I'm my message at the opening OF
Congress-" the President said, "I
called attention to the necessity for
legislation to preserve the Alaskan
fisheries from destruction Legisia-
tion to prevent the continued eX-
ploitation OF these fisheries has been
Department Of Commerce for the
last three years. -
Condition Precarious.
1T has been supported by exhaus-
tive scientific inquiry, by personal
investigation Of members Of the
House and Senate in Alaska, and the
whole subject has been traversed IN
public hearings on frequent occs,-
sions before congre ssional commit
tees. These fisheries are in an ex-
tremely precarious condition. The
salmon are being rapidly depleted In
many sections and are in grave dan
ger Of extinction, The situation can
not be met under existing law.
To-day practically one-half the
fishing areas are absolutely unregu-
vate exploitation in its most ruthless
form. for there Is no law which may
be applied to them. The remaining
areas are covered by reservations
established by President Harding
two years ago and by regulations
Of new canneries and curtailed the
operations of those already existing.
1t has been frequently stated by the
department that these executive
nature. They are wholly inadequate
to meet the permanent necessity.
They are justified by the exigency OF
the need to prevent the extension OF
further destructive operation pending
action by Congress and they have
served that purpose.
Defends Hoover Bill.
III. r. S143 offers a solution or
these difficulties. It has passed the
House of Representatives, been re
ported with an amendment by unani-
nous vote of your committee, and is
now pending before the Senate.
am advised that this bill in its pres
ent form affords ample powers for
the preservation of this great but
fast-fafling source of food supply for
the American people. II necessarily
means the curtailing of fishing ope--
tfons.
mo conservation measure can be
worth the name unless it reduces the
amount Of fish that may be taken and
thus provides. for sufficient proportion
OF escapement to the spawning grounds
to assure the runs for future genera
tionS.
ANY reduction necessarily means sac
rifce for those now engaged in these
fisheries, but selfish considerations must
always yield to the public interests. In
the long run It is in the interest of both
Gamers and fishermen that the industry
should be preserved, and that il should
be placed on q sound and, stable basis OF
contribution to American food supply,
and that it should become the basis OF
permanent livelihood to the people en-
gagged in II.
II cannot too strongly urge upon you
the necessity for the prompt passage ot
this legislation, as the fishing season for ,
this year is RAPIDLY approaching"