The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-10-30
Governor Moore
Renders Account
To Idaho Voters
Continued from page one)

ment The expenses of the depart
ment he said mad been cut 5000
in two years, and in spite of this
curtailment of expenses, $4,000
had been expended in making per-
manent improvements. This amount
of M Oney he said, represented a
greater outlay for improvements
that had been made by the depart
ment In the last twenty years. The
governor also spoke of his work In
securing adequate protection for the
great herds of elk which had died in
previous years in Idaho during the
winter months ON account of lack Of
feed. He stated that charges that
the department WAS being run for
politics were false, and that large
per cent Of game wardens employed
during the Alexander and Davis ad-
ministrati0n were now in the employ
of the state.
II am in sympathy" the governor
said, with the organizations of
sportsmen and favor any legislation
they are supporting which may bet
ter fish and game conditions in this
state, but l am not going to be bum
combed by q few sp0rtsmen in Boise
who are working against me because
l removed Otto Jones. If they want
to know why l removed Mr.. Jones, 1
can give them good and sufficient
reason
The governor also branded as
false, the statements that the stock
interests were running the fish and
game department. The money in
the predatory animal fund he stated
was expended by the fish and game
department, and by no other organ
ization. The damage to wild life by
predatory animals he said, was
enormous, and that one cougar
would sometimes kill as many as one
hundred deer in season.
The governor also stated that the |
fish and game department had been |
criticized for the loss of fish in Mag
ic Dam, this year at the period of
low water. Less than a ton and |
one-half of fish were destroyed, so
he stated. and he referred to the fol-
lowing letter as evidence that the
department did everything in its |
power to save the fish:
Shoshone, Idaho
Mr.. R. E. Thomas, State Game
Warden, Boise, Idaho.
Dear Sir: AS there has been con-
siderable unjust criticism directed
against the game department, re-
garding the loss of fish in the Magic
reservoir when it was drained on
July last; and, as l am perhaps
anyone else, l wish to give the facts
to the public
Knowing that Magic reservoir
would be emptied this season, you
and your deputies in this district,
,ook the matter up with me person
lily a couple of weeks in advance of
he time the reservoir was drained, !,
Ind asked me to keep the depart
nent informed as to the date the
water would go out, and asked if l {
Gould suggest any way to prevent
oss of fish as had occurred in every '
hort water year. | informed your t
department. that all that could be G
one was to pull the trash-screen in C
ront of the gates when the water t
ot low enough, SO we could reach t
he screens with graphing hooks. a
his was done. Your deputy was L
here and assisted in this work and s
tayed at the dam until the next day. r
When the screens were opened on Il
~ O'OhAhS VI JuiJ ~, Iuci0 WASH -
dead fish in the reservoir and t.
here was plenty of fresh water run p
ing in and out. The next morning "
1ere were great number of dead e
sh floating down against the tower. o
he reservoir was drained as much
5 it is possible to drain it, but there Z
ill remained a body of water a half '
lie long and quarter of mile
ide and 20 feet deep in places,
ith So second feet running through
Id there has never been less water
lere than that this season Now, :,
by should the fish die? The rea- ~
IN is as follows: Every fisherman oe
1ows that when stream drops the y.
out start upstream. When the ~
servoir started dropping so rapid ~ -,
the fish went up stream and when -,
e water receded below the mud "
ITS that have been formed about a
lie above the dam, the running pi
ater cut a channel through that III
I'D, and the trout attempting to go W W
were smOthered with the loose 81
wing mud, and foated down oe
,ainst the tower, or went through Gu
e open gates. | personally ex-
mined many of the dead fish and n
und the gills filled with mud, and -
q sure that was the cause of their
ath. as the loss all occurred that
st day.
The fish that died were so few in
mparison to those that got up 70
cam and down through the gates M
at they are hardly worth mention Ia,
g. 1t would have been impossible q h
have seined that lake half mile m,
1g with all the debris in the bot "a
N, old trees, stumps, rocks, etc. ar
Now, Mr.. Thomas, you may use ev
y part or all of this letter, and I 20,
willing to make affidavit to the
me, or meet any man or group of
N in defense of what I say. nle
Why so much ado about this mat III
at this time, when in 1920 the u III
s was many times greater and i cs
thing was said. III
Very truly yours, pa
(Signed) John E. Bailey. WI
Refutes Samuels. Ho
", | h