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REPORT OF THE COMMISSION. 
T'o His Kacellency, Hon. Chas. S. Deneen, Governor of Lllinois: 
DEAR Sirn—We have the honor to submit herewith our mae as State 
' Board of Fish Commissioners from Oct. 1, 1906 to Oct. 1908. 
The work of the Illinois Fish Commission has advanced eet, 
in the past ten years. From a very modest beginning it has increased 
its scope and usefulness, until it ranks high among the commissions of 
the country. In every department it has operated on a much larger 
scale, and its benefits to the people have correspondingly increased. In 
its work of conservating the fish of Illinois it is doubtful whether any 
department of the State is working to a greater benefit of the people, 
and especially the poorer classes, who depend so largely upon fish as food. 
The distribution of fish in 1908 was greater than in any previous year. 
All applications were filled, the conditions for collection being especially 
favorable. ‘The stage of water was right during the whole time of col- 
lection, and thousands of fish were gathered up and sent to various parts 
of the State. Nevertheless, millions of fish perished, on account of our 
inability to take care of them. ‘This enormous waste could have been 
prevented, if we had not lacked facilities for carrying on the work. An 
additional appropriation will be asked at the next General Assembly, 
to meet this exigency. 
Two more stations are needed on the Mississippi, between Savanna and 
Galena. All the rivers in the northern part of the State, as well as the 
lakes of McHenry and Lake counties, could be supplied from these two 
stations. No rivers in the world have ereater natural advantages for the 
propagation of fish than the Mississippi and Illinois, and with a little 
expense their product which is now being destroyed by heat, low water, 
and other adverse conditions, could be rescued, and used to replenish 
the depleted lakes and water courses of this State. 
No greater problem confronts the American people today, than that of — 
conservating our rapidly decreasing natural food resources. The wild 
game animals and fishes are being exterminated at a rate which shocks 
the scientists of the world. In our western rivers, particularly the 
Columbia and other streams where the salmon, was once over abundant, 
the fish have now become almost extinct. Were it not for the work 
done by the United States Fish Commissions in replacing the fish taken 
to supply the canneries, the salmon would have practically disappeared 
from our western rivers. The same conditions prevail to a lesser degree 
in Illinois. Were it not for the Fish Commission, the game fishes would 
