62 KEI'OKT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Tlio charges so m;nle, liiiving Ix'cn brought t<> the iittcntinn of the Conimissioiicr. 

 he vi-ry piom]itly asked an investigation. 



The nialadniinistration charged included among other things: 



(a) Entire lack of .system and ]>roi»e,r discipline in every dcjiartniciit of 

 the Cmumission, resulting in a greatly increased and useless expeuiliture of 

 money. 



(b) That tlic Conniiissioncr and other oflicials, taking ;vdvantagc of their 

 positions, at tli<^ expense of tiie (iovernment used the boats and iisli-liatchery 

 stations of the Commission as a nu-ans of j)rivate enjoyment for themselves 

 •and frieinls. 



(c) 'I'liat the employes of th(? ConimissioM were addicted to the use of in- 

 toxicating li(]Uors to the ext(Uit of neglecting their diitii's and disgracing 

 the service. 



(d) That falsilied statements of numbers of lish planted in the various 

 lakes and rivers of the country had been prepared under the direction of 

 the Connuissioner, with the deliberate purpose in view of using the same 

 before the committees of Congress in order to influence more liberal appro- 

 priations than might otherwise l)e made. 



(e) That ])olitical considerations were governing the matter of appoint- 

 ments within the Connnission. 



(/) That the Commissi<mer was guilty of nepotism. 



(g) That under the jjrcsent r6gime th(^ rule was, increased a]ii)ropriations 

 and an extravagant expenditure of money in all branches of the work of 

 the Commission ; among other things an unwarranted increase in the sal- 

 aries of certain favored employes. 



(/() That the time of certain employes was being taken up, ami material 

 belonging to the Government useil, in perfecting certain patents solely for 

 the jiersonal benefit of the Commissioner. 



(i) That the present force of clerks ami assistants in the Conniiissitm had 

 been very greatly increased, with a cori'es|M>nding expenditure of money, 

 while the ])ra<'tical and scientilii' results do not <'om]tare favorably with 

 those attained under I'rof. Baird. 



The charges summed uj) can be best exi>ressed in tliree words, \i/.. inefticiency, ex- 

 travagance, dishonesty. 



Your committee at its first meeting alter tll<^ )>assage of the resolution of investi- 

 gation a])pointed a subcommittee, consisting of its chairman and Senators Blodgett 

 ami Scpiire, to investigate the .affairs of tlie Fish Commission in respect to the 

 charges referred f o 10 very )»erson whose name Avas known to the committee as being 

 in any way connected with the ])nblication or dissemination of the sai<l chaiges was 

 nolHied that the committee would give him ;in opjtortunity to be liearil and would 

 also be glad to have him submit the names of any i)ersons whom he desired snbpav 

 naed ; also that any materi.il and relevant interrogatories which he might desire to 

 have ))ropounded to witnesses would be so ])roi>oMnded n]>on liling tlu>same in writ- 

 ing witli the clerk of the (committee. 



Tile hearings of the subcjonunittee were not jmblic; neither were those who stood 

 in th(^ light of prosecrutiug the charges nor any member of the Fish ('on)mission per- 

 mitted to be ])re.sent or re]>resented by attorney. 



In all, (>M wituess<is were sworn and examini'd, a very great niajoritjy of whom 

 were siibixenaed at the sjieciiil instance of the p<'rsoiis appearing to have charge of 

 the case against the Fish Connnission. In e\ery instance the committee acce))teil 

 all the interrogatories lih-d, and although many were of doubtful relevjincy. they 

 weie propounded to the witnesses designated, and also ujion re(|m'st of the same 

 in<lividualssub|)oMiaH wen^ issued for every i)ers(Ui wiiose name was furnished where 

 it was in the least made to appear that the testimony of sn(di ]>crsons wt)nld be at 



