The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-12
HOUSE ASKS ACCOUNTING
SCHALLER SETS THE PACE
Nyquist's Resolutions De-
manding a Financial State,
ment to Clear Up Gossip
About Game and Fish De
partment Are Unanimously
Adopted.

The game and fish commission must
explain to the house what it has done
with it's money, and if Representative
Nyqulst has his way the explanation
Will be comprehensive or the commits
sions appropriation will not be
doubled, as requested by the executive
agent.
Mr.. Nyquist yesterday introduced in
the house resolution calling upon the
game and fish commission, which
means its executive agent, to furnish
within five days a complete financial
statement covering the period of it's
incumbency, which began two years
ago.
The present game and fish commits
sion and its executive agent, who is
de facto the commission, took the reins
two years ago. The executive agent,
Samuel F. Fullerton, drew funds in ad-
vance, as is provided for no other de-
partment of the state government, and,
according to the stories he has furnish
ed the newspapers, has been doing
business at tremendous rate.
Department Has Been Busy.
For two years the Twin City press
has contained a serial story Of the do
ings of the executive agent. Contra
band game, nets, guns, rods, fish, etc,
ETC., have been confiscated and prob
ably, as provided by law, sold. But
until a very recent date no return of
the receipts from such sales was made
to the state. This gave rise to gos-
sip, and some persons probably malici-
GUS in their intent have insinuated that
the executive agent has been too busy
enforcing laws for other people to
bother about the formalities which
he might otherwise be expected to
maintain with the state.
EifnI10 1r1N
In character have come stories of con-
fscated game presented to friends of
the executive agent, valuable guns
confiscated and loaned to careless per-
sons who neglected to bring them back
or sold at nominal prices.
Representative Nyquist thinks these
stories may have originated with per-
sons having real or fancied grievances.
The unexplained delay in making re-
turn to the state has given color to
the stories, and in order that those
most directly concerned may have
ample opportunity to show that every
thing is entirely regular, Mr.. Nyquist
yesterday introduced the following
resolutions, which were unanimously
adopted.
Nyquist's Resolutions.
Whereas. The game and fish commits
sion has not made any report Of receipts
and expenditures to this house; and
Whereas, Certain receipts from sales
of games, etc. for a period of two years
nave recently been turned into the state
treasury; and,
''.Wheras. There is a bill before this
legislature asking for an appropriation in
double the amount heretofore asked for,
viz. $4,000; now therefore, be it
Resolved By the house of representa-
tlVes, that the game and fish commission
Is hereby requested to make an itemized
report to this body within five days of the
amount of money expended for the BIZ
ennial period ending March 1, 1903 show
ing the salaries and expenses, and to
whom paid. Said commission shall also
furnish an itemized statement of all Ii
censes, tags, ETC., issued, all game, guns,
Selnes, nets or any other property con-
hScated by said commission, giving the
name OF person, or persons, from Wnom
the property was taken, the name of the
person to whom sold. and the price re-
included in the above report any receipts
from any source not specifically mention
ed above, and for the same period men
toned above"
The demands as set forth in the res
olutions are sufficiently comprehensive
to cover all the matters in question,
and at the same time demonstrate if
there be any truth in the Charge that
the executive agent has one of the fat
test berths in the gift of the state.
The time allowed for completing the
report, five days, members of the house
say, is not unreasonable, as, of course,
the books kept by the executive agent
contain in detail all the information
asked, and the preparation of the re-
port will involve only tabulation of the
accounts, which are presumably care
fully kept.