The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-31
MINNESOTA GAME AND FISH COM
MISSION SUGGEST A LOT OF
CHANGES.
MORE MONEY is NECESSARY.
THE AMENDMENT CHANGING THE
TERM OF OFFICE SHOULD BE
REPEALED.
PROTECTION FOR TROUT AND BASS
Pound Net License Law Needs Atten-
tiOn-Outside Parties Should BE
Assessed $50 a Gun.

The Minnesota Game and Fish COM
mission wound UP it's annual session
yesterday afternoon and before ad-
jounment decided to recommend
several important amendments to the
game laws, and ask the legislature to
pass the same.
The board will recommed that the
amendment adopted last session, that
of making the term of office for each
commissioner two years instead Of six,
be repealed and that the old
system be reinstated. If the present
law goes into effect when authorized
by the legislature, all of the present
commissioners will go out of office at
the same time, requiring the appoint
ment of a new commission, which
likely as not will be thoroughly I'M
familiar with the work.
1t is also recommended that the mat
ter Of fixing tn salary Of the chief ex-
ecut1ve agent be left to the discretion
of the board. At present the salary of
the agent Is fixed by law at 81, POO per
year. The board will also ask for an
annual appropriation Of $25 900 in
stead of $4,000 as at present, for the
purpose Of maintaining the state fish
hatchery, and enforcing the game laws.
The matter of changing the time on
killing game of different kinds was
also considered, and some changes will
be asked for in the open and close sea-
sons. The board would like to make
it Illegal to kill ruffied grouse, Woodcock
and plover on July 4, and in fact will
recommend that no killing Of any kind
be allowed before Sept. 1.
AS to ducks, geese, etc, the commits
sion will recommend that the killing Of
the same be stopped Dec. 1, except as
to blue bills and snipe, which may be
| allowed on the free list until April
25.
The commission will pay mere at
tention to the propagation and protec-
ton of the fishy tribes than ever before
and one of the most important recon-
mendations made by the board was
that bass and trout of all kinds be ex-
Guided from sale on the public markets,
or in other words, that bass and trout
be restricted from sale at all. These
two kinds Of fish are disappearing fas-
ter than the other varieties, and their
propagation is more difficult and un-
certain.
The commission would also like to
draw the lines yet closer around the
pound net license law, as during the
past SOol C41S1S nave OSSA 1dSIduI
abuses of the existing measure The
commission will therefore recommend
that the fee for pound net licenses be
raised from SIS to $25. In Canada,
just across an imaginary line on many
OF the international waters of the state,
the license fee is $50.
The killing of deer by parties outside
Of the state will be made a costly pleas
ure if the legislature adopts the recon-
mendations of the board. The commits
sioners want the law changed so that
non-residents coming into the state to
kill deer will be assessed $25 per gun.
1t is expected that this provision will
in a large measure prevent the annual
influx Of hunters from outside of the
state who come to Minnesota on pleas
ure bent, caring nothing for the game
they sacrifice.
1t is estimated that the game of
the state is valued at from SIS, 0O0, 900 to
$20000,000, and, If 1t is included in the
assets of the commonwealth, the game
is by far too valuable a possession to
be lost. During the past three years,
the citizens of Minnesota have been
taught number Of very severe lessons,
and the respect given to the game laws
is far healthier than in former years.
Yesterday State Agent Fullerton re-
ported the seizure Of 80 dozen pin tail
grouse at the Minnesota Transfer The
! grouse are worth Sc per dozen, or a
total Of $3.50.