gH REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



demanded this formal transfer, and an exhibit of the assets and liabihties of the 

 Boards, which, by the consoHdation act, we were to succeed as legal representatives, 

 before attempting to go on with the business which required, as we have found, the 

 liquidation and settlement of thousands of dollars of debts owing by our predecessors, 

 and the collection of thousands of dollars due the State from various sources, 

 principally on account of fines and penalties and judgments therefor, and on account 

 of sales and leases of oyster franchises. 



The only excuse your Committee has to offer for failing to make this demand for 

 an early accounting and delivery of property and funds, is that this Commission had 

 retained in its service the chief executive officer of the Forest Commission, and the 

 Secretary and Engineer of the Fish and Game Commission, who was also its dis- 

 bursing officer, accountant and manager; also the Chief Game Protector and his 

 clerk, besides having upon this Board two members, one each from the consolidated 

 Commissions. 



On May 20th, the Secretary made to us, and entered on our minutes the fol- 

 lowing report, viz.: "The Secretary informed the Commission that the Comptroller 

 had paid the pay-roll of the old Commission, and that the Secretary had paid per- 

 sonally all outstanding accounts of the late Fish and Forest Commissions." This 

 statement we very soon found to be a mistake by the scores of bills and claims which 

 were presented for payment, some running back as far as 1890. Your Committee 

 then began a thorough examination of the office and found that they had no books of 

 accounts, vouchers, cancelled checks or stubs of the late Fish and Game Commission. 

 Inquiry developed the fact that all books and papers relative to financial transactions, 

 as well as all official correspondence, were kept at 53 Broadway, New York, which 

 had been used as a branch office. Requests were made for their production, but the 

 same were ignored, and thereupon, on June 7th, the following resolution, offered by 

 Commissioner Babcock, of this Committee, was adopted : 



" Resolved, That all the books, papers and vouchers pertaining to the Commission 

 in the New York office, be removed to this office and turned over to the auditing and 

 pay-clerk within ten days." 



Within a few days a box containing some old books, duplicate hatchery accounts, 

 letters, obsolete blank forms and other papers, many of which did not relate to the 

 public business, was received but found not to include the account-books of fines and 

 penalties, oyster franchises and general expenses, nor any of the accounts or duplicate 

 vouchers needed to enable us to liquidate claims against the Fish Commission, or 

 collect outstanding accounts due the State. The most serious difficulties are met with 

 in the department of fines and penalties. Hundreds of people, including justices, 

 protectors, peace officers, lawyers, printers, and others, have presented bills for 



