1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 257 



dens in a number of the counties of the state. In 1858 the example of 

 Maine was followed by New Hampshire, and in 1865 the first fish com- 

 mission came into existence in that state, Massachusetts following its 

 example the same year, and Connecticut and Vermont two years later. 



In Maine the game laws were gradually extended to include game 

 birds as well ais big game, and in 1878 the duties of the warden were 

 extended under the new title of County Moose and Game Warden. In 

 this same jeav the Fish Commission of New Hampshire was reorgan- 

 ized as a Board of Fish and Game Commissioners. 



In 1887 Minnesota cKtablished the office of State Game Warden, and 

 in 1888 New York that of Chief Game and Fish Protector. 



It is not proposed to trace in detail the evolution of the powers or 

 duties of fish and game commissions and wardens, but it is evidence 

 of the superiority of this plan that to-day no less than forty states have 

 adopted it. 



There has been, and still is, much diversity of opinion as to the 

 advantage of a single officer over a board. Minnesota at one time 

 entrusted the work to a single officer, the State Game Warden, under 

 tlie Act of 1887, but four years later established the present system of 

 a Board of Game and Fish Commissioners. Montana, on the other 

 hand, in 1895 established a Board of Game and Fish Commissioners, 

 but three years later replaced it by a State Game and Fish Warden. 

 New York has tried both plans, but has now placed the work in tlie 

 hands of a single commissioner. This gentleman. Commissioner James 

 S. Whipple, diBcussing this question at the convention of the New York 

 State Forest, Fish and Game League, made use of the following words : 



" In my opinion no commission of five could succeed. No member 

 of it is vitally concerned with success. Each anxiously tries to shift 

 the burden of difficult or intricate questions to the other, and ko each 

 seeks to escape responsibility. What we need is one man, one commis- 

 sioner, as is now the case. That man cannot escape responsibility. He 

 must face each and every question. He knows that he must make good 

 or go under." 



At the present time one territory and fourteen states commit the 

 administration of their game laws to commissions, whose membership 

 ranges from three to six. As evidence of the desire to keep these com- 

 missions non-political it may be mentioned that in Ohio not more than 

 three of the five members, and in New Jersey not more than 

 two of the four members may belong to the same political party, and 

 Pennsylvania prohibits the appointment of any two of the six commis- 

 sioners from the same senatorial district. As a precaution against tlie 

 retirement of all the members at the same time, Ohio, in the Act creat- 

 ing the commission, provided that one should be appointed for one 

 year, another for two years, another for three, and so on, and that at 

 the expiration of their respective terms the successor should be appoint- 

 ed for five years. By this means there is always a quorum familiar 

 with the duties of the Board, and the greatest efficiency is assured. 



