240 



Game Survey of the North Central States 



Illinois has a form of organization which superficially resembles the "com- 

 mission-director" type, but which actually belongs in the "State game warden" 

 type. There is a "director of conservation" to whom various division chiefs (in- 

 cluding game, fish, and forestry) report, but there is no commission standing be- 

 tween this director and the governor. The governor has a conservation advisory 

 board, but this board does not appoint the director, and hence does not assure con- 

 tinuity, nor does it constitute a body fitted for the exercise of regulatory power. 

 The whole organization is essentially unstable to the same degree and in the same 

 manner as the "game warden" type. 



The situation in the north central region may be summarized as follows: 

 Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois employ the "game warden" type, rely- 

 ing on an unstable executive appointed by the governor. Ohio employs the "de- 

 partment of agriculture" type. Indiana employs the "natural resources" type. 

 Wisconsin and Michigan employ the "commission-director" type. 



CONSERVATION PROGRAMS 



Law Enforcement. The enforcement of the game laws is rightly re- 

 garded as foundational to any workable system of game conservation. The 

 reason it is not more frequently mentioned in this report is that it is one of the 

 few points on which opinion is unanimous. 



There is no satisfactory yardstick by which the status of law enforcement can 

 be compared for the various States, or measured against an ideal condition. Per- 

 centage of convictions, or convictions per unit area, or per warden, are not satis- 

 factory indices because they do not indicate the amount of educational work ac- 

 complished, or the degree to which each conviction represents the co-operation of 

 public sentiment and public officials. Nevertheless convictions are the only 

 measuring stick easily applicable to the records customarily kept. The following 

 table is offered for what it is worth. 



TABLE 54. Status of game and fish law enforcement 



*Small game only. 



The table of course includes offenses against the fish laws as well as against 

 the game laws, and fish cases undoubtedly preponderate in number. No satis- 



