of 



To His Excellency the Governor and the Honorable Council. 



The Commissioners on Fisheries and Game respectfully sub- 

 mit their fifty-first annual report. 



APPOINTMENTS. 



During the past year the following changes have been made 

 in the personnel of the Commission : - 



Mr. Arthur L. Millett of Gloucester was appointed as Com- 

 missioner by His Excellency the Governor on February 9, con- 

 firmed by the Council on February 16, and duly qualified on 

 Feb. 18, 1916, Dr. George W. Field of Sharon retiring after 

 more than ten years of continuous service as chairman. To 

 this work Mr. Millett brings a long training and intimate 

 experience with the salt-water fisheries, which should place the 

 new Board in closest touch with the commercial fisheries. 



On February 29 Commissioner William C. Adams of New- 

 tonville was elected chairman of the Board of Commissioners. 



Commissioner George H. Graham of Springfield was reap- 

 pointed as Commissioner for a second term of five years on 

 Aug. 3, 1916. 



REORGANIZATION. 



Effective business organization must underly the activities of 

 any department, so when we started the reorganization of our 

 department in February (two and a half months after the 

 fiscal year had begun), we aimed to institute desirable changes 

 as rapidly as circumstances would allow. All the details had 

 to be studied out by the commissioners, assisted by an already 

 overtaxed office force which could proceed with the plans only 

 as the routine work would permit. 



A proper handling of the finances is the first essential, and 

 for this reason it is advisable to state how the money to con- 

 duct the department is provided. Each department must file on 



