24 



THE GAME BREEDER 



ways, chief among them being dues and 

 contributions from sportsmen. This is 

 the first instance that we know of where 

 the work has been made such a commu- 

 nity undertaking as in Rome. Last year 

 200,000 trout fry supplied by the Conser- 

 vation Commission and the bureau of 

 fisheries were raised by the association 

 to fingerling size. Next year the number 

 is expected to be doubled. What this 

 means to Rome as a community can never 

 be stated simply in terms of fish caught, 

 even though the trout fishing there is 

 probably better than that in any other 

 well settled portion of the State. 



Community playgrounds have become 

 a universal public institution, publicly 

 supported. Rome is showing the entire 

 State how the streams of any suitable 

 locality may be made one of the most 

 profitable and appealing of playgrounds. 



The action at Rome is but a start. As- 

 sociations in other places will emulate 

 it. As the Conservation Commission 

 stated in the annual report for 1915, 

 "through all of these organizations runs 

 the spirit of social service. Their con- 

 duct entails much work and' sacrifice 

 upon their officers and guiding minds. 

 That this work is faithfully and consist- 

 ently performed and supported as uni- 

 versally as it is, but another proof of the 

 social value of conservation — proof that 

 places it on a plane with education, child 

 welfare work, the labor movement, the 

 various campaigns for public health, and 

 every other activity for social better- 

 ment. Conservation, no less than those 

 other movements, has its social workers 

 in all parts of the State, who understand 

 and are striving earnestly for the attain- 

 ment of its ideals." — Conservationist. 



FISH AND GAME LAW CHANGES 



Mississippi Rejects Commission ; 



Nevada Establishes Department. 



Of several radical changes made in the 

 administration of the laws probably the 

 most important is the establishment of 

 a department of game and fish in Ne- 

 vada. 



In Illinois the Game and Fish Com- 

 mission, established in 1915, was abol- 

 ished and the work placed under the 



Department of Agriculture with a chief 

 game and fish warden in direct charge. 



In Maine a single Commissioner of 

 Inland Fisheries and Game has been 

 substituted for the commission of three 

 members which has been in charge of 

 the work since 1899. 



In Mississippi the law enacted last 

 year creating the department of game 

 and fish and placing the work in charge 

 of a commissioner was submitted to the 

 voters under a referendum petition and 

 rejected at the general election in No- 

 vember, 1916, thus leaving the State 

 without any general officer in charge of 

 game matters. 



In New Jersey the Board of Fish and 

 Game Commissioners has been increased 

 from four to seven members. 



In Pennsylvania the provision requir- 

 ing game protectors to enforce the fish 

 and forestry laws, as well as the game 

 laws, was strengthened and made more 

 explicit. 



The salary of the Commissioner of In- 

 land Fisheries and Game in Maine was 

 increased to $2,500, that of the State 

 Warden of South Dakota to $2,400, and 

 that of the chief protector of New York 

 to $5,000 per annum. 



In Florida the county warden system 

 was reestablished in conformity with the 

 decision declaring the law of 1915 un- 

 constitutional. 



Preparedness. 



The Game Conservation Society an- 

 nounced that it would supply game to 

 the hospitals during the war. It is the 

 only society equipped to undertake this 

 work. The New York conservation com- 

 missioner, in his annual report, offers to 

 furnish mineral water to the surgeon 

 general of the United States. It seems 

 highly proper if we furnish the birds 

 that the State should furnish the drinks. 

 Our readers own the game farms and 

 "shoots" and the State owns the springs 

 at Saratoga. 



We shall be glad to have game breed- 

 ers write what they think of our plan to 

 keep the hospitals full of game. Any 

 who are willing to offer game for this 

 purpose are asked to write promptly, 



