The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-17
Gov. Stubbs Would Make Fish
and Game Warden Immune.
Believes Department Should Be
Placed ON Scientific Basis.
WANTS THE MONEY.
Asks That Collections for Hunt
ing Licenses Be Turned Over.
Has Been Maintained Out of
Governors Contingent Fund.

Govern Stubs sent a message to
the legislature this morning in which
he asked that immediate steps be taken
TO appropriate the money placed in the
state treasury for that purpose for the
benefit of the state game department
There is S64,754 now On hand from fees
collected from hunters licenses that
belong to the fish and game fund which
the last legislature failed to appropriate
from the general fund
Inc governor has, during the past
seventeen months, spent over 81 900 of
his personal contingent fund in sup
port of the fish and game department,
and he asked that his fund be reim-
bursed in this sum.
The governor further urges that the
fish and game department be taken out
of politics and placed on a scientific
basis In other words he would like
some provision made to maintain so
valuable man as Prof. L. L. Dyche,
the present warden, in office not sub
ject to change of political dynasty, just
as F. D. Coburn is maintained in the
department Of agriculture.
The governor, in his message goes at
some length into the value of the SER
vices rendered the state by Prof.
OyCAS, especially III regard TO the con-
| struo ton of ponds and the saving Of
the states meager water supply. The
message in full follows:
The Governors Message.
| To the House of Representatives:
| Two years ago the legislature failed
to appropriate the money then on hand
| in the state treasury which had been
collected from hunters licenses TO
| maintain the fish and game depart
| nGnt in
cur the expense of calling a special ses-
sion of the legislature to appropriate
this money and provide means for the
| protection and care of game, the pro-
pagation and distribution of fish and
| the maintenance of the property,
| have paid, all the expense of this de-
partment for a period of seventeen
months, from June 80, 1909, to Decem-
Der /, 1910, out Of the governors con-
| tingent fund.
There are now bills due for December
| work which ought to be paid, but 1 do
| not feel at liberty to continue to use
| my contingent fund to meet these ex-
penses when the state fish and game
| department has on hand $64,75447 in
the state treasury that only needs to be
released by the legislature appropriate
ing this money for the purposes for
| which it was collected. The fish and
game law provides that "All sums paid
| into the state treasury for licenses
shall be credited to the state fish and
| game warden's fund and become i'm
| mediately available"
1 recommend that you Immediately
appropriate this fund, and provide for
reimbursfng the governors contingent
fund for the amount of 81, ,258 40 which
has been paid out during the seventeen
months above mentioned to maintain
the fish and game department
| Under an arrangement made with the
| state university, Mr.. Lewis Lindsay
Dyche, professor of zoology and curator
of birds, mammals and fishes of that
institution, was made fish and game
| warden, and has not received any sal
ary from the fish and game depart
ment. Professor Dyche after much
consideration of this subject consented
to accept the appointment of fish and
game warden, under the express con-
dition that the department should be
entirely removed from political con-
troll and place1 upon a scientific busi-
ness basis.
No man in Kansas or the United
States is better qualified to protect the
wild game and fish interests, and pre-
serve and develop them for the benefit
of the state than Professor Dyche. He
has, during the past eighteen months,
visited most of the successful game
propagating farms in the country and
has under consideration plans to con-
serve and develop the wild game in
|
to the fullest extent possible. He has
made Extensive investigation into the
question of the kind of fish that are
best adapted to ponds, lakes, and
streams in Kansas. He has also in
yestigated many of the best fish hatch
cries and fish culture establishments
| in the country. In determining the
food habits of fish, he has examined
the stomachs Of several thousand fishes
and as many as eleven hundred fish OF
one variety to ascertain the nature and
character of food necessary to maintain
that particular variety of fish, and its
relation to other fishes. He has also
gone very deeply into the question
from an entirely practical and scien-
: tific point of view of every farmer IL
7 Kansas building pond or lake ir
which to keep reasonable supply oi
/ fish for his own use and for market
| purposes and is preparing several bul1e-
1 tins giving elaborate, practical infor.
nation and specific instruction on tht
2 subject of fish ponds and fish on every
farm. one of which has already been is.
sued.
In the matter of pond building, Pro
fessor Dyche has visited large number.
of the best constructed ponds in cen
traI and western Kansas, and has as
{ eertained exactly from practical ex
amples how they were built, with
view to furnishing full information t.
farmers, as to how to build a successful
I pond.
, The fish and game department can b'
\ developed into an industry which will
: produce many millions of dollars wortl
of food every year for the people q
: Kansas If it is removed entirely from
: politics and put on a scientific bust
@ ness basis.
!, The storage of water, the protection
|. of the soil from erosion and waste re
sulting from flood waters that com
down the streams in flood times an.
r destroy valuable farm land and prop
erty are also involved in the subject