THIRTIETH BIENNIAL REPORT 11 



and in the several counties, through the application of the deer tag 

 license law ; the statistical compilation of fur bearing animals by species 

 trapped in the state ; the appointment of a committee provided by legis 

 lative act to investigate and recommend game refuge sites to be pur- 

 chased and maintained out of the special fund consisting of one-third 

 of the amount received from hunting licenses; the closure of certain 

 streams and lakes throughout the state for better protection and con- 

 servation of trout, pursuant to power granted the Department of 

 Natural Resources by the last legislature, as well as other items men- 

 tioned in and by the reports of the chiefs of the several bureaus of the 

 division. 



The following is a summary of bureau activities: 



FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS 



Prompt payment of expense claims to employees has been secured by 

 utilizing a revolving fund. 



A change has been made in the distribution of hunting and angling 

 licenses. In times past practically all licenses were distributed and 

 sold by county clerks. Of recent years, some county clerks declining 

 to handle licenses, the division has been required to and has distributed 

 licenses direct to sporting goods houses, hardware stores and other 

 establishments, where they are in turn sold to the public. Such agents 

 remit the full value of the licenses and the money is deposited in the 

 bank as a special account known as the bond trust account. At the end 

 of each month the licenses actually sold are checked and the transfer 

 made from the bond trust account to the credit of the state treasurer. 

 In many localities the commission on license sales has been entirely 

 retained by the county clerk, in other instances shared with the retail 

 agent. 



The number of hunting licenses sold for the fiscal year 1926-1927 

 amounted to 253,532, and in the following fiscal year to 257,738. There 

 was also an increase in the number of angling licenses sold, being 

 246,167 in 1926 and 262,886 in 1927. Outside of a slight decrease in 

 wholesale fish dealers' licenses, an increase is shown in other license 

 sales. 



Trapping license sales increased from $3,872 for the fiscal year 

 beginning July 1, 1926, to $5,347 in the fiscal year beginning July 1. 

 1927. The license on commercial duck clubs amounted to $1,475, and 

 the operators' license sales to $410. 



PATROL 



The Patrol Bureau was reorganized in October, 1927. A number of 

 new captains were appointed and certain deputies placed under the 

 direction of these captains. 



That law enforcement has been stimulated is evidenced by the 

 increased number of arrests, the total being 4390 for this biennial 

 period as compared with 3107 during the preceding biennium. A total 

 of $147,254.50 was assessed in fines, together with 8504 days of impris- 

 onment. This indicates an average of six arrests per day and an 

 income from fines of $201.70 for every day in the two years' period. 

 The greatest increase of patrol activity, as reflected by arrests and 

 fines, was during the last six months of the biennium, when there were 

 more than double the number of arrests made, convictions had, and 

 amounts of fines received than in any like period. 



