Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-12

THIRTY ccnservationiStS from
Maryland, Virginia, West Vir-
ginia and the District of Co.
lumbia gathered at the Raleigh
Hotel recently to try to solve the up
river fishing rights of the Potomac.
The conference was called by Swepson
Earle, conservation commissioner Of
Maryland, who sent invitations to the
fish commissioners of Virginia and West
Virginia, the officials of the United
States Bureau of Fisheries and leaders
in conservation work in the three States
involved in the controversy.
Commissioner Earle said his State
had no ak to grind, that under the
compact of 1875 between his State and
Virginia the control of the Potomac to
the Virginia shore was given to Mary
land, and that his compact had never
been amended. There is no question
about Maryland's control of the Potc-
mac" he said, but we want to give
the anglers of our two neignboring
States, Virginia and West Virginia, the
privilege of fishing above tidewater in
the Potomac provided we receive some
thing in return"
DR.. M. Darcy Magee, president of
VA SOAhAAhAS%
Council and national director OF the
Izaak Walton League Of America, pre-
sided over the conference.
A report was submitted concerning
the condition of the waters of the up
per Potomac, showing that within the
last 10 years this stream had been
cleared of 80 per cent of its pollution,
and that waste materials entering the
river had been reclaimed by the in
dustrial plants and put on a paying
basis.
L. Lee Compile, Maryland's game war
den. told of the approximately 100 miles
of fishing waters of the Potomac. He
said while his State was willing to give
the anglers of Virginia and West Vlr-
ginia the privilege OF fishing IN the
is. above Little Falls, he thought in
return for this concession Virginia and
West Virginia should allow Maryland
anglers the privilege Of fishing 10 miles
up any tributary of the Potomac. He
said he considered this small return
for the $50 miles Maryland was willing
to give to those two States.
This proposition was Immediately
taken up by the representatives OF Vir-
GINA and West Virginia, who said That
while they themselves might be willing
to grant it, they were certain their
respective Legislatures would not pass
such measure.
THE question of control of the river
i presented by Virginia representa-
tives, who claimed that the read
ing of the old compact OF 1913 said tnat
fishing rights were to be equally en-
joyed by Virginia and Maryland. Mary
lands reply was that the law stated this
right only pertained to navigable
waters and did not extend to non
tidal waters. This question was de-
bated both pro and con, and while II
was finally decided that the control OF
the Potomac was Maryland's, there was
an under-current among representa-
tives from Virginia and Maryland that
the United States Supreme Court might
decide otherwise.
a COMMITTEE was appointed by
| n DR.. Magee of representatives from
Virginia and West Virginia to
draft a reply to Maryland's offer. This
counter proposition by Virginia and
West Virginia was rejected by Swepson
Earle at the conference. 1t then was
decided to appoint a tri-State COM
mittee consisting of the fish commits
sioners of the three States, the at
torney generals or their assistants, and
Lewis Radcliffe, deputy commissioner
of the United States Bureau of Fish
cries. This committee is to draft a
resolution to be presented to the Vir-
ginia General Assembly, the first Legis-
lature of the States involved to meet
and in turn to be submitted to the
Legislatures of the other two States
the following year. The tri-State Com
mittee will meet in Washington on
November /.
The writer was impressed with the
strong you-give-me and sI-give-you
sentiment that was manifes4d by the