﻿8 
  Sixteenth 
  Annual 
  Report 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  great 
  divisions 
  of 
  the 
  department. 
  A 
  bureau 
  of 
  inland 
  fisheries 
  

   should 
  be 
  established, 
  charged 
  with 
  the 
  supervision 
  of 
  fresh 
  water 
  

   food 
  fisheries, 
  of 
  non 
  game 
  variety. 
  In 
  many 
  quarters 
  of 
  the 
  

   State, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  now 
  permitted, 
  suckers, 
  carp, 
  eels, 
  white 
  fish, 
  

   etc., 
  could 
  be 
  taken 
  in 
  such 
  quantity 
  as 
  to 
  constitute 
  an 
  important 
  

   source 
  of 
  food 
  supply. 
  Under 
  proper 
  supervision 
  these 
  food 
  fish 
  

   might 
  be 
  taken 
  without 
  endangering 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  game 
  fish, 
  and 
  

   at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  the 
  State 
  might 
  easily 
  realize 
  a 
  revenue 
  of 
  

   $25,000 
  or 
  more 
  per 
  year 
  from 
  the 
  sale 
  of 
  net 
  licenses. 
  In 
  this 
  

   respect, 
  the 
  recommendations 
  of 
  former 
  Chief 
  Protector 
  Burnham, 
  

   submitted 
  herewith, 
  merit 
  careful 
  consideration. 
  

  

  The 
  State 
  can 
  no 
  longer 
  evade 
  the 
  questions 
  involving 
  the 
  oc- 
  

   cupancy 
  of 
  its 
  forest 
  lands 
  in 
  the 
  forest 
  preserve 
  counties. 
  In 
  

   violation 
  of 
  the 
  plain 
  provisions 
  of 
  the 
  Constitution 
  and 
  statutes 
  

   of 
  this 
  State 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  (several 
  hundred) 
  of 
  persons 
  reside 
  

   in 
  buildings 
  erected 
  upon 
  State 
  forest 
  preserve 
  land, 
  during 
  all 
  or 
  

   a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  year; 
  rich 
  and 
  poor 
  alike 
  are 
  included 
  within 
  the 
  

   category 
  of 
  squatters. 
  The 
  eviction 
  of 
  many 
  of 
  these 
  persons 
  

   would 
  work 
  great 
  hardship 
  and 
  the 
  well-to-do 
  cottager 
  protests 
  

   with 
  great 
  energy 
  against 
  any 
  movement 
  to 
  oust 
  him 
  from 
  what 
  

   he 
  conceives 
  to 
  be 
  almost 
  a 
  vested 
  right. 
  

  

  The 
  arguments 
  in 
  favor 
  of 
  the 
  leasing 
  by 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  camp 
  sites 
  

   on 
  its 
  forest 
  lands 
  need 
  not 
  be 
  repeated 
  by 
  me: 
  these 
  arguments 
  

   have 
  been 
  iterated 
  and 
  reiterated 
  until 
  they 
  should 
  be 
  familiar 
  to 
  

   every 
  person 
  interested 
  in 
  preserving 
  our 
  beautiful 
  lakes 
  and 
  

   forests 
  for 
  the 
  public 
  welfare. 
  What 
  harm 
  can 
  result 
  from 
  the 
  

   leasing 
  of 
  camp 
  sites 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  ascertain, 
  while 
  the 
  benefits 
  

   which 
  would 
  accrue 
  are 
  self 
  apparent, 
  to 
  say 
  nothing 
  whatever 
  of 
  

   the 
  great 
  revenue 
  which 
  the 
  State 
  might 
  receive 
  by 
  adopting 
  such 
  

   a 
  course. 
  

  

  But 
  whatever 
  be 
  the 
  future 
  policy 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  its 
  present 
  posi- 
  

   tion 
  is 
  little 
  short 
  of 
  ridiculous. 
  We 
  prevent, 
  or 
  pretend 
  to 
  pre- 
  

   vent, 
  the 
  erection 
  of 
  any 
  new 
  buildings 
  upon 
  the 
  State 
  forest 
  lands 
  

   but, 
  without 
  receiving 
  any 
  return 
  whatever 
  for 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  our 
  

   property, 
  we 
  allow 
  the 
  man 
  who 
  is 
  now 
  located 
  thereon 
  to 
  con- 
  

   tinue 
  his 
  occupancy 
  in 
  plain 
  violation 
  of 
  the 
  Constitution 
  and 
  stat- 
  

  

  