The Daily Alaska empire., 1936-11-04

the condition and trend of the fishery Under this power vessels are licensed and statistics are re- quired before clearance from port
 Scientific Investigations
 Finally, the commission is charg- ed with the duty of making the scientific investigations necessary and of reporting upon them. This has been done, and a series of eleven reports dealing with the various investigations has been printed and distributed throughout Canada and the United States, as well as to those foreign govern ments interested. The condition of the banks, the reasons for the regulations adopted, and the results obtained have been made clear They have aroused universal in- terest, This has assured that the commissions work is carried on in the full light of publicity. Inter ference with it for private ends must lear the same full light The future, as the past, will be written in public and scientific records which no one can ignore safely
 Voluntary Curtailment
 The commission has no power over the system of voluntary cur tailment now used by the fleets. This system was agreed to by the Canadian and Am erican fleets themselves. Its objects are to spread the catch over a longer season. One of its results has been to affect the landings of different ports. It has also affected the different types of boats The principal result-spreading out the season = has undoubtedly been a good thing for the industry. But whether the results of curtailment have benefited this or that fleet or port, it is important to remem- Der that these results are due to the voluntary actions of the fleets themselves not of the commission.
 Plan of Curtailment
 Three years ago, at the request of the fleets, the commission pre- pared plan of curtailment which it believed would secure larger profits and yet would leave the economic set-up undisturbed This plan required giving the commits sion the additional power of en- forcing curtailment. This was not accepted by the fleet. The powers necessary were not given to the commission, and the commission has no responsibility for the results of the system of curtailment which the fleets themselves adopted. On the other hand, the commission is glad to give the fleets whatever assistance 1t can. But it should be understood that the commission has done it's duty when it sees that the maximum poundage is obtained from each bank, and that it has no power over the disposal of this poundage.
 Impartial Grounds
 It is very plain that the com mission must determine on impar- tial grounds what each bank can yield Its members must not show favoritism to any particular sec tion of the industry It is in very real sense of the word a tribunal passing upon questions of fact, and like court it must de- eide on the facts alone Were it to do otherwise it would betray its trust. and the results of this betrayal would be written large in the destruction of an industry and in the records of science.
 For this reason the members of the commission should not be advo- cates of any branch of the industry dealers, fishermen, supply house men, or vessel owners. Neither should they be sectional, with the idea that they would favor any State, Province, or port It has been a most fortunate thing that during the entire hitsory of the commission there has never beell an instance of any such favoritism Every decision of the commission has been unanimous because every d decision has been based upon thorough investigation and on the facts which have clearly appeared
 Has Been Successful
 The Commission has been suc- cessful. It has carried out careful investigations. It has based it's actions upon facts. AS result, it has seen the stock of halibut on the banks increase in size and in until greater numbers are now reaching spawning size The decline in production that carried
 fsTr9 .-sF5 q ssfs s-7as-