o just as easily, and far
more cheaply, in British Columbia than in Norway and Scotland. Therefore
the best way is to preserve the game and the fish, so that there may be
sport for all, rich and poor alike. As they say in California, "preserve
it for the people and by the people." For unless this is done and proved
effectual, the time will soon come when the wealthier people will form
clubs for both shooting and fishing, and private game preservation will
close gradually the free waters of the province.

There have been other obstacles to proper protection. A most mischievous
and, I am firmly convinced, most false argument on the part of the
salmon canners has often been alleged as a strong reason why no
protection should be given to trout and why the law of the province
should be disregarded. The canners state that the trout are the salmon's
worst enemies, destroying both eggs and young. There is, of course, no
question as to the truth of this accusation. But the reasoning deduced
from it is wrong. It is quite impossible to destroy all the trout in the
British Columbia waters; and if it were not, no possible advantage would
be gained by so doing, because, by the inexorable laws of the survival
of the fittest and of supply and demand, the position of the trout would
be occupied by other fish which prey on the eggs and young of the
salmon. The decrease of trout would be supplied by an increase in the
numbers of the squaw fish and various species of char which are just as
bad enemies of the salmon.

Both the Federal and Provincial Governments are afraid to prevent the
Indians from taking fish or game in or out of season or to interfere in
any way with their usual methods of procuring them for food. The Federal
Government is the worst offender, because it erroneously believes that
if the Indians were in any way curtailed in their food supply, the
Government might have to supplement the want by rations, and thus be put
to great trouble and expense. It is as well to note that the Indians are
under control of the Federal Government. On the other hand the Indians
are amenable to the laws of the Province, except under certain
conditions on their own reserves, which in British Columbia are very
small, generally merely a few acres. The Provincial Government is,
however, naturally unwilling to act in opposition to the wishes of the
Federal power.

This attitude of the Federal Government is based on ignorance of the
actual condi