THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 93 
Other meetings of the Western Washington Association have 
since been held at Mount Vernon, Olympia and Seattle. At the Seattle 
meeting here in January the question of consolidating with the East- 
ern Washington Association, which was formed about sixty days after 
Western Washington, was broached and, the response from Hastern 
Washington being favorable, the two associations met there and 
effected consolidation at Spokane on February 10th last. 
These meetings have been highly profitable, resulting in the 
exchange of ideas and recitation of conditions which has made for 
propagation and law enforcement work in each of the counties. 
At the present time, by reason of the Fish Commissioner also 
being the Game Warden, the food fish and game fish men aid in the 
enforcement of both sets of laws. 
Governor Lister conceived the idea of still further co-ordinating 
the work of two of his departments by having the employes of the 
State Fish Commissioner, and the State Game Warden, and of the 
State Fire Warden work for both the protection of game and enforce- 
oes of game laws, and the protection. of the forests from destruction 
y fire. 
As a result of this, it is assured that hereafter the game and 
forests of Washington will have better protection than at any time in 
their history. 
Our present fish and game code had been in effect about two 
years and eight months when our Spokane meeting was held, last 
February. Without exception, every county in the state reported the 
new laws were working entirely satisfactory and that game and fish 
were more abundant than in many years past. Various county game 
commissions for the fiscal year of 1914 purchased and liberated in this 
state 4,523 birds. The fiscal year of 1915 closed on February 28th, but 
we have not as yet received the report of all the county game wardens, 
but undoubtedly many more birds were liberated in 1915 than in 1914. 
I have already told how we are increasing the supply of game fish. 
In 1914 the number of county hunting and fishing licenses was 
122,249. It is known that this number was largely increased in 1915. 
I was much surprised to find on looking through the figures that 
about eighty per cent of the male voters of the State of Washington 
take out a hunting and fishing license. Our state does not require 
women or children under the age of 16 to take out licenses. Undoubt- 
edly the proportion of women and children fishing is almost as great. 
It would seem that in any state where this great a percentage of the 
people are interested in a subject that they would be able to secure 
the enactment of the laws which they desire relating thereto. 
This certainly can be done if they will but organize. The nucleus 
of an organization of those in this state who are interested in the 
preservation of our game and bird life was formed at Spokane on 
February 11th last. I expect this summer to have the special state 
deputy game wardens assist in organizing game and game fish clubs 
all over the state. 
Our State Association of Game Commissioners and Wardens joined 
with the State Federation of Women’s Clubs in an appeal to the 
National Audubon Society to send one of their organizers in this 
state to assist in this work, but no reply has as yet come. Their 
assistance will be appreciated, if it can be had. The work, however, 
will go ahead with or without it. , 
