Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-25

IN WhlCh the salmon Work Is Carried
on by the commission, the Sacramento
and San Joaquin rivers would have
long ago been depleted Of salmon,
which is the states most valuable and
important food fish. The Sisson
hatchery turns out more young salmon
than any other single establishment in
the United States.
Heavy Losses Occurred
For years heavy losses occurred,
owing to the crude maner of distrib-
uting fish from the hatcheries. Today
the state possesses at a cost of $1,000
one of the best equipped fish distribu-
ting cars Of the United States. The
federal fish cars, which are not so
complete, cost from $9O00 to $1,000.
In 1898 the commission had one
launch to patrol a vast area. Today
1t has three and is building new one
at the cost of about $4,000 to replace
tho first one built twelve years ago
all of this being done without a cent
of appropriation from the state.
In the last year a game farm has
been established, where since Feb
ruary of this year there have been
raised upwards Of a thousand young
pheasants. In 1898 the commission Sc
cured an appropriation of $500 and
brought in about 300 pheasants from
Oregon and China. Next summer 1t
expects to turn out at least 5000 pheas-
ants from the game farm, and will re-
quire no appropriation of the legisla-
ture to do II.
The commission has shipped in a
large number-about 2500-of Hun
garian partridges which have been lib
Grated in thirty counties in the state
and many of them have been doing
well. 1t has imported wild pheasants
from Europe to mingle with the ore
gon and Chinese pheasants, and also
has brought in a number Of wild tur-
keys from the state of Sinaloa, Mex
leo, and liberated twenty-five In the
san Bernardino mountains, and placed
twenty-five in the game farm, and
has turned out something over 100 OF
their increase in the national parks in
Tulare and Mariposa counties. ex-
pending in this work OF introduction
their care, transportation charges into
the state and throughout the state, to-
gether with the cost of establishing
the game farm, about $4,000.
5ounties Paid for Lion ScaIps
In the last two years the commits
sion has voluntarily paid out from the
hunting license fund bounty of $40
each on $40 mountain lion scalps, rep
resenting about $4,000. The expert
enced mountaineer and hunter claims
each lion kills from one to three deer
each d week; most of them claim that
two a week is a low estimate. TO be
exact, in Glenn county, in July of this
year. one lion was known to kill five
deer in one week Taken on the lowest
estimate given, that a lion kills a deer
a week, the $40 lion sCalps therefore
represent $40 deer saved in one week
to the people Of the state, or in
twelve months, upwards of 10000, to
say nothing of the saving of colts,
calves, sheep and pigs to the stock
raisers. At the low estimate of $40
on a deer, 10000 deer represent a saw
ing to the state of more than 100000
As to the appropriation for printing
tho commission is allowed $500 and
cannot make very exhaustive or elabo-
rate reports if IT stays within that
appropriation III fact, the money is
easily expended in the printing OF
hunting licenses.
Under the laws no state property can
be insured. SO it is wisdom to carry Il
strong working balance at all times,
as the destruction of a hatchery, game
farm or fish car by fire would require
Immediate outlay to replace the same
State Approves All Claims
The law provides that not a cent OF
money can be paid out by the fish and
til that claim has been approved by
the state board Of examiners at Sac
ramento, which is composed of the gov
ernor, the attorney general and the
secretary of state, and then is passed
for final auditing by the state con-
troller's department who, after being
satisfied the claims are just charges
against the state, draws his warrant
on the state treasurer for the amount,
and the money is thereupon disbursed
to the respective claimants. ItQnized
original bills showing every cent Of
expenditure are on file with the state
controllers department at Sacramento,
and duplicates thereof are in the Of
fee of the fish commission and acces-
sible at all times.
SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE OF
HATCHERIES
July, 1909 half OF appropriation 100000
Dec 1909, sale of hsheimen's
licenses .............. 1900. 90
sac 600 90