The Devils Lake world., 1922-01-25
COLI. 4. BLOOM
SHOWS RECORD.

ANSWERS MISLEADING STATE.
MENT PRINTED IN 1. v. A.
NEWSPAPER.
The following letter from Col. j.
H. Bloom of Devils Lake, Game and
Fish Commissioner for North Dakota,
was sent to the Devils Lake Journal,
and is a reply to a misleading article
recently published in that daily and
other !. V. A. papers. The article in
question gives a summary Of the dis
bursements of the Game and Fish de-
partment in 1917, 1918, 1919 and
1920, during the Frazier administra-
tion. The article is so worded as to
leave the reader to infer that the
money may have been carelessly o,
dishonesty spent. We leave Mr..
Bloom to dispose of the innuendo in
his own trenchant style:
editor Journal: In the last Sat-
urday issue of your paper you pub
lished an article, of which the follow
ing is the first paragraph:
Bismarck, N. D.-The time of
the contest hearing, on which the
supreme court handed down it's
decision on Nov. 22, proved con-
venient time for a meeting of
the state game and fish commits
sion, according to the record of
expenses of that division of the
state government. Several bills
were allowed for John Bloom,
state game and fish commissioner
who was one of the leaders in the
notification suit and was in Bis
marck engaged in the prepara-
tion of the suit.
"The same item has. appeared in
all I. V. A papers of the state who
are willing to publish the propaganda
that is sent out by the paid propagan.
dist at Bismarck. And there is as
much truth in it as there is in most
of the bunk intended to mislead and
deceive the public. There was nc
meeting of the game and fish board
called at Bismarck during the social.
led recall election contest. While
was at Bismarck from Nov. 18 tc
the 23rd, I challenge you to show that
one dollar of my expenses were charg.
ed to the either for railroad
fare or hotel bills. And I am ASKING
you to be fair enough to correct you1
misleading innuendo when you have
fully satisfied yourself that there is
not word of truth in it. Will YOU
do it? l ask your readers to wait and
see.
"The second paragraph of the ar.
ticle is as follows:
The game and fish department
received $83,313.5S in 1921 and
spent $59,78s.25, according to
the records. Expenses of the de-
partment were 42,732.O2 in 1917
$30,992.95 in 1918, $32, 2,433.O8 in
1919, and $56,075.35 in 1920, the
records show.
II am neither affirming or de.
nying the correctness Of the fignres
We will assume that they are correct
And since the public, or at least those
who contribute to the game and fish
fund, have right to know all about
the funds, I hope you will give me
space to tell them something of the
expenditures which you did not do.
when the Frazier administration
came into power there was not dol
lars worth of property to show fol
all the expenditures which had been
made during the eight years previous
Practically all of the money derived
from the sale of licenses had been ex.
pended in hiring game wardens and
the salaries and expenses of members
of the board. The first year was
member of the board a section
of land was purchased south of Man
dan for game farm, and approxima-
tely $4,000 of improvements put on
in the way of buildings and pens.
AS I recall it one fourth of the pur-
chase price was paid down and the
balance made payable in three equal
annual payments. The next year an
other tract of land was purchased
near Bottineau, and another $4,000
worth of improvements made. The
next year land was leased at Grafton
and improvements made for the carry.
ing on of game farm. Last year a
tract Of land was purchased at Spirit.
wod Lake for the erection of a fish
hatchery which it is planned to COM
plete as early this year as possible
Another tract of land comprising 1906
acres was purchased near Dawson
said by sportsmen to be the most per.
feet refuge for winged game in the
state. A tract of land was also
purchased at Fish Lake in order te
give the state permanent water rights
in connection with the operation of tn.
hatchery there, and several hundred
] dollars were expended in completing
the museum building there, together
| with tho ovI I,I,;+ LII