Report of the Legal Department 



By John K. Ward, General Counsel 



Hon. James S. Whipple, Forest, Fish and Game Commissioner: 



SIR. — I beg herewith to submit the report of the Legal Department 

 of the Forest, Fish and Game Commission covering the period from 

 January i, 1907, to October 1, 1909. 



By chapter 199 of the Laws of 1906, section 185 of the Forest, Fish 

 and Game Law was amended, increasing the powers of the Commissioner 

 in the employment of counsel, and permitting the appointment of necessary 

 counsel in the office of the Forest, Fish and Game Commission, and the 

 appointment of attorneys to represent the Department in the prosecution 

 or defense of any action or proceeding brought under the provisions of the 

 Forest, Fish and Game Law. Pursuant to this statute the Legal Depart- 

 ment of the Commission was organized January 1, 1907. 



At the time of its organization the legal business of the Department 

 was widely scattered among local attorneys and a condition of divided 

 responsibility for its prosecution and direction existed. It was the plain and 

 manifest intention of the Legislature, in its amendment to section 185, to 

 bring the legal business of the Department under such supervision and 

 control as would give it intelligent direction and vigorous prosecution, and 

 the work of the Legal Department has been consonant with that intention 

 and purpose. All actions are directly under the supervision and control 

 of the General Counsel of the Department and complete records are kept from 

 the commencement of the progress and disposition of all the legal business 

 of the Department. 



At the time of our organization, the legal force consisted of three 

 attorneys — the number now being increased to five — one of whom is 



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