The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-12
GOES INTO OFFICE
FACING DEFICIT
New Commissioner Of Fisheries
Finds an Ovcrdraft His
Inheritance.
PARSONS MAKES STATEMENT
Replies TO Comments on House
Actions in Reference to
Appropriations.

draft, left from the late commission OF
s2.62i93. according to a statement made
last night by Commissioner John s.
Parsons. In regard TO comments that
have been made about the action oc
tho House of Delegates In continuing
the annual appropriation OF $4,000
for the Commission OF Fisheries, the re-
port of the outgoing commissioners that
this amount could safely DO reduced to
$40. o0o, and the further action in adopt
ing tho Rev amendment adding Slg,-
600 for boats. MIR. Parsons said
MY attention has been called TO
some criticisms OF this appropriation
on the ground that the late Commits
sion OF Fisheries in it's report to the
Governor made Just before its term
OF Office expired. when tho members
were seeking reappointment, recon-
rnended' that the regular annual APP
preparation be reduced to $4,000
stating that in their opinion that
amount would be sufficient In the flu
ture. Perhaps come member of the
House thought as l did, that the late
commission had been long time
since March. l90S--in fnding out that
tho annual appropriation vas too large
and should be reduced. Some legisla-
tor NAV have gone to the trouble OF
examining the annual reports of the
commissioners IN the hope of finding
that the expenditures in recent years
would show a gradual decrease. ana
that not all OF the appropriations had
been expended.
one would naturally have expected
to lind something Of this kind TO JUS
tirv the commissioners recomme nda-
ton Of n s5.oH0 reduction in the annual
appropriation, while az the same time
recommending that the commissions
expenses be Increased by a fixed charge
OF $500 annually To pay the upstate
members OF the commission. An eX-
animation OF the reports OF the COM
mission for the past four years VIII
disclose the fact that the average year
" gross expenditure for the past four
years has been !43,79l .46, and that tho
yearly expenditures for those years
were as follows: October !, 1909. to
October l. 1910. S4ie63St; October ],
1910. to october l. 1911, S+l, 26o.62: DC
,ober !. 1911. to October !. 1912. So
T2s.5o October !, 1912, to October i,
1913. S4i,2l2ss.
Now. coming right down to date,
called at the Office OF the Auditor OF
Public Accounts this afternoon and OBJ
tanned a statement showing that tho
late commission spent during the year
ending February 2s. 1914. the sum OF
S47,624s3 This is what the Auditors
books showed IL to be ct the close OF
the office to-day. whether this Is 10
be the total OF the late commissions
eXpe nditures during the last year Of
it's incumbency cannot az yet be stated
for II is impossible TO say whether all
of the warrants issued by the former
commission have yet come In. One war
rant came IN day, and 1 fear there
are more to follow.
1T is evident the late commission
did rot know what it had spent dur
ing the year ending February IS, 1914,
for the secretary OF the commission
reported TO me that according to his
books there should have been to the
commissions credit as of February -
ha In Amd
tors books at the close OF business to-
day show that there has been paid out
for warrants Issued by the former COM
mission during Its last year in Office
the sum OF s2.624.98 in excess of the ap-
preparation OF $4,000 allowed. and tho
new commissioner received the very
cheering information at the Auditors
office that this sum OF S262493 and
whatever may be added to II By war
rants issued by tho former commission
Quoted from whatever amount the Leg
islature may SEQ At to appropriate for
the commissions maintenance.
1t is evident that tho old commission
has left as a legacy to the new COM
mission In addition to It's good Will.
letter heads and envelopes, deficit
OF at least s3.624a3. along with that
patriotic and praiseworthy recommen-
dalton for $1,000 decrease in the ap-
preparation, and $500 increase In the
expense account.
should the Legislature give the new
commission the same appropriate ton as
the old one has been receiving, tho
new body Will have at least s5,249.86
less 10 spend during its first year n
Office than the old commission did spend
during its last year in office.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
former commission spent during it's
last year in office II least s47624s3. r
have been informed by all of the oyster
policemen with whom I have talked
that they were laid Off a month during
tho year. thus leaving tho natural
oyster rocks unprotected and open to
pillase during that time Adequate
police protection OF the natural oys-
ter rocks means conservation OF the
oyster. IF the State wishes to con-
serve the great wealth she possesses in
her natural oyster beds, she must fur
nish proper police protection, and this
can be done only BY an adequate appro-
priation. If the appropriation is re-
duced. the police protection must be |
reduced, unless the !
former commission has been wasting !
money for the past four years. by i'm
proper. unwise. unnecessary or extrava- |
giant expenditures, and l take it that !
it has not been doing this. assume |
that the expenditures were wise and |
proper. Certainly they have been re-
markedly similar for the past four |
years, and surely improper, unwise, un-
necessary or eXtravagant expenditures |
would not have been persisted in year
after year.
An examination of tho expenditures
of the commission for the past six
years. or since the appropriation OF
$4,000 a year was first authorized, |
does not warrant any one, who wishes
to see the policy of protection con-
tinued, In believing that n reduction
at this time would be wise, or would
serve any other purpose than that OF
hampcring and embarrassing the new
commission in the protection OF the
oyster industry. do not think II
can be contended that the police pro-
lection can be safely reduced, for the
lato commission tells us In its report
that oysters arc now more plentiful
In Virginia than ever before If this
Is so, now that we have something IA
Il