THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 



can easily be done at the next session of the legislature — that is, 

 providing the sportsmen of the state are willing. There are 

 about fifty thousand men in Oregon who are actively interested 

 from the sportsmen's standpoint — nearly enough to express a 

 decided opinion. 



Inasmuch as certain people who are running for office are 

 raising the hue and cry against the using of a large amount of 

 the taxpayers' money in game protection and propagation, it may 

 be well to remember that not one cent of this money comes out 

 of the general fund of the state. It is paid in by hunters and 

 anglers and can be used according to the law for game protection 

 and propagation only. 



A Period of Criticism. 



This is essentially a period of criticism when all commis- 

 sions should be abolished, when all public officials are thieves, 

 when all taxes should be reduced to nothing and when the whole 

 state should be turned upside down and shaken to the very 

 bottom. The politician who can write the longest platform, 

 make the most promises and produce the most striking panacea 

 for all our public ills is the man who will really need the most 

 votes. Since the world began, it has always been the case that 

 the man with the least brains can find the most to criticise. 

 There is very little good constructive criticism, for the reason 

 that it takes long study of facts and figures. 



The Fish and Game Commission has been criticised for 

 spending a large amount of money during the past year. If 

 there is any graft connected with the Fish and Game Commis- 

 sion, why not publish the facts? The records in the State House 

 and the records of the Commission are open to every citizen of 

 the state. This money has been spent during the past year in 

 the purchase of a fish distribution car, in the purchase of prop- 

 erty for hatchery purposes and other permanent equipment 

 which was needed, in stocking .the lakes and streams of the 

 state with over 8,000,00,0 game fish, in raising and distributing 

 over 3,000 game birds in various counties, in the payment of 



Pag-e two 



