Evening star., 1926-11-14
MANY PROBLEMS AWAIT
DOMINION'S MINISTER
Vincent Massey, Upon Arrival in City in
January, Will Face Mass of
Tangled Questions.

One OF the questions on which this
commission is now working is to what
extent the power dams may be erected
on the Rainy River. thus backing UP
the water on the Minnesota side. II
Is also considering the problem oS
how much Of the Milk River in Mon
tana, can be used for irrigation by the
farmers on either side of the line.
The Niagara Control Board, another
permanent body, is now considering
the question of building four small
concrete islands near the crest OF the
Canadian Falls to divert the water
from a large V-shaped notch, which is
rapidly being worn in the escarpment
and is destroying the beauty OF
Niagara.
These permanent boards. the United
States feels. may be counted upon to
take care of the routine diplomatic de
tails which arise between the two
countries. They act more as boards
of business directors looking out for
the interests of their stockholders
rather than as old-school diplomats.
Canada, on the other hand. has felt
that it is to her advantage to have a
representative in Washington who
could sit down and talk over first
hand some of the two nations political
problems. leaving the routine matters
to the permanent boards. For In
stance, last Summer the Niagara Con
troll Board was about to press forward
its plan for filling Niagara s sore tooth,
when it was intimated by the Cana
dians that the plan would have more
chance of success If recommendation
were postponed until after the Ca.
madam election. 1t is in subtle mat
ters such as this that Mr. Massey is
expected to be great asset to Canada.
Tariff on Fish.
One of the most difficult diplomatic
tasks which Canada hopes Mr.. Massey
will accomplish is an arrangement to
replace the moduS Vivendi concerning
fisheries off the maritime provinces.
This diplomatic difficulty has been
hanging fire ever since 1883, when
the Senate refused to ratify the fish
cries convention of 1885 This con
ventiOn gave American fishing vessels
the right to enter Canadian ports to
buy bait and dry their catch. and in
return Canadian vessels asked the
right to sell their catch in the United
States without being subject to Ameri-
can tariff duties. This latter provision
the Senate refused to grant. Since
then, by modus vivendi, the Cana
dians have granted American vessels
special privileges, but the United
States has not waived the tariff on
fish. but instead has materially in
creased that tariff. Meanwhile, Cana
da dropped the modus vivendi in 1923.
and no longer allows American vessels
special privileges in her ports. This
remains one of the hardest questions
which Mr.. Massey will be called upon
to settle.
Another fisheries dispute awaiting
Mr.. Massey's diplomatic guidance is
that arising from the flow of salmon
from the Fraser River, in British
Columbia. 1t go happens that the
Fraser River empties into the Pa
cific through both the Strait OF
Georgia and the Strait of Juan de
F'uca, the Island of Vancouver lying
between the two. Every year when
the salmon swim upriver to spawn and
the young return they must pass
through one of these straits. Because
1t is wider and deeper waterway
most Of the salmon choose the Strait
of Juan de Fuca. This happens to
be adjacent to the coast of the State
Of Washington. and therefore gives
Americans the right TO erect fishing
fences and catch salmon both on their
way up and on their way back from
the Fraser River.
ArOuses Canadian Ire.
This arouses considerable Canadian
ire. Canadians feel that these salmon
are born in Canada and at the end
OF five years return to die in Can
ada, and, being true and loyal. Cana
dian fish, that they should not be
caught by Americans. Canadians also
are wrathy because the Canadian law
allows salmon 10 run free from Fri
day night until Monday, while the
State of Washington gives the salmon
no days of rest. American fishermen.
| therefore, are seriously depicting the
supply Of true and loyal Canadian
| fish.
Although the Canadians favor a
| treaty to regulate salmon fishing, this
has been so long delayed that they
have meanwhile taken advantage Of
the biological habits of salmon. II
so happened that a salmon which is
| spawned in q certain spot returns five
ears later to that identical spot to
spawn and die. it returns, moreover.
| by the identical channel by which il
| passed down to the sea as a young
ster. The Canadians, therefore, are
| artificially spawning large numbers
| OF salmon which pass through the
| Strait Of Georgia, the all-Canadian
! waterway, and in time they expect
to create a hereditary instinct so that
most Of the salmon will choose the
| Canadian route rather than the Amer
tcan channel to the sea.