THIETT-FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT 23 



sale of the same was decreased from 10 per cent to 5 per cent, resulting 

 in several county clerks requesting that they be relieved of the dis- 

 tribution in their county. Other county clerks would not distribute 

 licenses unless the agents paid cash in advance and in other counties 

 the county clerks would not give any of their agents a part of the com- 

 mission received by them for the sale of licenses. Altogether, the 

 Division of Fish and Game is distributing at least half of the hunting, 

 angling and deer tag licenses direct to agents in the state and many 

 complaints have been registered with the division by agents handling 

 licenses from the county clerks, expressing themselves as being dissatis- 

 fied with the present arrangements. This office realizes that under 

 present conditions the system of license distribution that we are now 

 working under is not giving entire satisfaction throughout the state. 

 We are giving consideration to various suggestions relative to improving 

 our system that would enable the division to distribute licenses through- 

 out the state to the satisfaction of all of the agents as well as the 

 sportsmen and at the same time guarantee the return of all moneys 

 received from the sale of licenses for remittance to the State Treasurer. 

 When one realizes the large value of licenses to be distributed, it is 

 apparent that considerable study must be given in the formulation of 

 new plans. It is our hope to be able to have the law amended at the 

 next session of the state legislature. 



There are eleven separate kinds of licenses that come under the con- 

 trol of the Division of Fish and Game, which are as follows : Hunting, 

 angling, deer tag, commercial fishing, trapping, fish breeders', fish 

 importers', game breeders', fish packers' and wholesale shell fish deal- 

 ers', kelp, commercial hunting club, and commercial hunting club 

 operators' licenses. The hunting, angling and deer tag licenses are the 

 three most important and represent the bulk of the total license reve- 

 nue. In the past, these licenses have been given Avide distribution 

 with agents in practically every town in the state, so that it has been 

 possible for the sportsmen to readily obtain them. The commercial 

 fishing and trapping licenses are distributed to only a few centrally 

 located agents, and the bulk of these license sales are made in the 

 offices of the division. 



The following is a brief summary of each kind of license, also of 

 oth.er sources of income received by this division • 



HUNTING LICENSES 



Prior to 1907, the Fish and Game Commission received an appropria- 

 tion from the state legislature for the purpose of carrying on its patrol 

 and fish culture work. In that year certain persons who were interested 

 in the wild life of the state realized that the fish and game were being 

 depleted and that additional funds were needed to carry on this work. 

 It was supposed that persons engaged in hunting should bear the 

 burden of this expense so in that year the hunting license act was 

 passed by the state legislature and became effective immediately. 



This license was divided into three classes, namely: Citizen-resident 

 at $1, nonresident at $10 and aliens at $25. A few years later the law 

 was amended permitting aliens, who had taken out their first papers 

 for citizenship, to take out a license for $10. The first year that this 

 license was effective, there were 113,975 licenses sold for a value of 



