MINNESOTA'S EXPERIMENT IN STATE FISHING. 



By Carlos Avery, 

 St. Paul, Minn. 



Immediately upon the entry of the United States into the war 

 a great hue and cry arose urging relaxation of the fishing laws 

 and regulations so as to permit the people to take fish anywhere 

 and in any way that they chose. The pretext that the fish were 

 greatly needed for food as substitute for meats was used as a 

 plausible argument. This demand grew more and more insistent 

 until it constituted a real menace to the well established conserva- 

 tion policy of the state. 



Here is a sample expression from a banker in a country town, 

 from a letter addressed to the Safety Commission: "Could not 

 your Honorable Commission take up this matter with the State 

 Game and Fish Commissioner and have the present game laws 

 taken off for the present at least and allow us all to take whatever 

 fish we could make use of for our own use in any way they could 

 be caught." This is another: "I hope that you will not be influ- 

 enced by a few moneyed men, but will give the settlers their rights 

 to kill game and catch fish at any time regardless of game laws." 



The Governor, the Safety Commission and the Game and Fish 

 Commissioner were deluged with such appeals during 1917, but 

 after the state fishing got under way they gradually subsided 

 until now such a letter is rarely received. 



The State War Board, in Minnesota known as the Public 

 Safety Commission, which was appealed to, gave the Game and 

 Fish Department an opportunity to make recommendations. The 

 plan which is now in operation was recommended by the Game 

 and Fish Commissioner as a substitute for the wide-open plan 

 generally proposed. The Safety Commission approved by formal 

 order, named the Game and Fish Commissioner as their agent to 

 carry on the work according to his discretion, and appropriated 

 $1,000.00 as his capital stock on which to commence business. 



With this small beginning the enterprise started and has been 

 self-supporting from the outset, all equipment having been pur- 

 chased from the fund accumulated from the small margins on fish 

 sales. The value of equipment and other assets at the end of the 

 first year will approximate $25,000.00. 



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