TWENTY-EIGHTH BIENNIAL, REPORT. 85 



Over fifteen years a»o. California's leading- sportsmen, with com- 

 mendable foresight, saw this great truth, and shot to center with the 

 Hunting License Act, followed in due course with a similar tax upon 

 which has o-pown, all too gradually, the considerable superstructure of 

 an organization which up to date at least has accomplished the demon- 

 stration that money in large amounts intelligently invested toward the 

 protection and propagation of fish and game, can long delay its 

 extermination and the extinction of its allied industries, if not also 

 perpetuate it. That, the future alone can determine; but present 

 policy is being shaped to mould the conservation program along the 

 indicated lines of civilization, and thus adapt it to the now assured 

 destiny of southern California — intensive development. 



In face of these facts, the importance of broad popular education to 

 the economic as well as sentimental value of fish and game hardly 

 could be ignored ; so the last two yeai*s have seen no slackening in such 

 activities throughout southern division work. Our veteran field patrol- 

 men have consistently joined therein at every opportunity; liberal 

 advertisement has been given of law-enforcement activities to the end 

 that the law-abiding majority might know how much is being done to 

 protect their interests against the careless or selfish who respect only 

 the consequences of violation. That long years of patient efi'ort seem 

 at last to have borne some fruit in fostering popular support for 

 earnest wild-life eifort, is one of the gratifying demonstrations of the 

 past biennium which ofl^sets many a disappointment. 



Transportation of sport-seekers and their housing has stinuilated a 

 huge expenditure in itself, being an enormous and duly-recognized 

 contributor to the automotive industry, now conceded to be among the 

 biggest businesses of the country. Perhaps a better idea of the tinaufial 

 importance of our outdoor assets may be derived from learning that 

 this year the lower third of this state will license not far from a fifth 

 of a million sport-seekers, each of whom, on a conservative estimate, 

 will put into general circulation through the exercise of this dollar 

 privilege, at least another hundred dollars in transportation, guns, 

 ammunition, fishing-tackle, camping goods, general equipment; 

 patronage of resorts and more beyond im^ntion. totaling perhaps 20 

 million dollars. 



Growing interest of other organizations than the Fish and Game 

 Commission in wild-life, is another outstanding feature of the past 

 biennium, due no doubt in considerable degree to desire of helping 

 temporarily over a recognized emergency, of which expense an expected 

 increase in sporting license will relieve the various now cooperating 

 counties another year. Such cooperation, where genuine and non- 

 competitive, nor losing sight of legitimate objectives, has been wannl\- 

 welcomed as adding materially to the enforcement of law. Eventually 

 the Fish and Game Commission expects in southern California to 

 relieve these county cooperating agencies of any expense in fish and 

 game conservation, just as the Supreme Court already has relieved the 

 counties of any respon.sibility in fish and game regulation by con- 

 sistently deciding that such regulation of hunting and fishing remains 

 the .special province and prerogative of the biennial legi.slatures, thereby 

 lending at least some stability to these restrictions and allowing the 

 sporting public as well as industries allied thereto, the opportunity to 



