Evening star., 1928-11-25

~ REAT interest is being mani
tested by local anglers over the
7 protest meeting" against the
~ purse meters in Chesapeake
Bay to be held in the Wash
ington Board of Trade rooms, The Star
Building, next Tuesday evening at 8
o'clock At this meeting not only will
be stressed the necessity for some leg
islation prohibiting or curtailing the ac-
tivities of the purse meters, but also the
absolute necessity for black bass law
in Maryland similar to the ones in eff
feet in Virginia and the District OF CO.
lumbia
Swepson Earle Maryland conservation
commissioner will make the principal
address of the evening. Others who
have consented to be present and make
brief addresses are Deputy Commission
er Radcliffe of the United States Bu-
reau of Fisheries and Glenn c. Leach,
chief of fish culture of the bureau; Tai
bott Denmead of the Biological Survey,
Edward C. Kemper and Paul E. McKin-
ney, president Of the local chapter OF
the Izaak Walton League; George P.
ter of the league, has also been invited
to attend, and bring as many members
of his organization as possible.
r. M. Espes, deputy commissioner OF
internal revenue and president OF an
association of $50 owners of cottages
along Chesapeake Bay, has been IN
vited to attend and make an address.
A committee of this organization has
been appointed by Espes to be present.
A great many Summer residents 0t
MARYLAND with cottages along the baJ
have expressed themselves very forcibly
about purse netting in the bay and have
even gone so far as to say that unleS;
some legislation is passed at the next
session of the Maryland Legislature they
will offer their homes for sale.
Conditions on the lower Potomac arc
said to be almost as bad as those IN
Chesapeake Bay Reports have reached
this column that illegal Seiners have
been reaping a harvest catching bass
and offering them for sale In the Bal
timore markets. This condition applies
to both sides of the river, the Virginia
robbers and fish hogs joining with those
in Maryland in sending their catches 10
Baltimore and Maryland markets. A
bass law in Maryland prohibiting the
sale of these game fish would kill a.
one sweep this evil. because the freight
rate, either by train or automobile,
would be prohibitive to more distant
places.
Commissioner Henry O'NTalley of the
United States Bureau of Fisheries. in
his annual report just made public,
states that State and private enter
prises engaged in large-scale fish propa-
cation and organizations and individu-
as interested in having good fishing
and enjoying The use Of lakes and
streams for recreational pursuits, all
are in accord as to the Importance OF
conserving our fishery resources. His
lr,.----tt further states that the present
position of the commercial fishing in
1ustry is strong, but danger is seen In
~ecietion of important grounds, and
that the work of Government scientists
is an important factor in the prosperity
of fishing interests.
The United States fish commissioner
knows that the Government scientists
cannot hope to succeed in the face OF
such destruction of game fish as is
caused by the purse meters. These
puI1c meters, paying small license fee
Of sos a wear, not only make thousands
OF dollars, but actually destroy during
the fishing season thousands of pounds
of fish because they are not properly
equipped to handle their hauls and the
fish are allowed to spoil and are thrown
away.
While Federal and State fish hatch.
cries annually hatch and rear millions
of trout, bass, crappies, pike, perch and
other food and game fishes, the COM
3ined efforts of all these enterprises
is not sufficient to meet the demand fol
stocking streams and lakes to maintain
IA the angling waters Of the oountr!