13 

 Board of Fish Commissioners. 



appointment — duties, etc. 



We are frequently called upon to take active part and give per- 

 sonal attention to the enforcement of the laws in remote parts of the 

 State, and if from lack of time or any other cause, we do not go we 

 are usually informed that we are not doing our duty or earning our 

 salaries, and a great many times during the year are reminded that 

 officials drawing the salaries we do should give the work more attend 

 tion. In order that our position may be properly understood we 

 herewjth give the law creating the fish commission and enumerating 

 the duties of the commissioners in full, so that there need be no 

 further mistake regarding the question. The commissioners have 

 never received a cent of salary, as the law distinctly provides that 

 the work be without remuneration. The position is an honorary 

 one, and when the board was created it was understood that their 

 duties were to be more of a supervisory nature than otherwise, but 

 little importance being placed upon the work. As time passed and 

 the necessity of protecting the fish and fish interests became apparent 

 new legislation was had and the work assumed greater magnitude 

 and more importance. As attention was called to it, the general 

 public seemed to take it as a matter of course that it was a salaried 

 commission, and that the commissioners should give their entire 

 time to the work. This is, of course, impossible under existing cir- 

 cumstances. While the appropriations allow compensation to 

 wardens and persons employed by the commission in the pursuance 

 of their duties, and the commissioners when employed in the service 

 of the State are allowed their actual expenses, such as traveling and 

 hotel bills, and liberal allowance for such expenditures as may be 

 needed to carry on the work, yet no compensation, of any kind, has 

 ever been received by any member of the commission from the date 

 of the enactment of the law up to the present day. We make this 

 statement, as before said, so that those who may have felt that they 

 had reason for complaint for censuring the commissioners for seem- 

 ing neglect of duty may better understand the real facts. 



BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 



An act entitled "An act to establish a board of commissioners to 

 increase the product of the fisheries, by artificial propagation and 

 cultivation." 



Approvad May 13, 1879. In force July 1, 1879. L. 1879, p. 171. 



Paragraph 1. Board of commissioners created.] Section 1. Be 

 it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the 

 General Assembly, That it shall be the duty of the Governor, by and 

 with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint three persons 

 residents of this State, who shall constitute a Board of Fish Com- 

 missioners. The persons so appointed shall hold their office for the 

 respective terms of one, two and three years, the Governor designat- 

 ing the term each member shall serve as said commissioner from the 



