OAR ASA-1' 
 
 
OUTDOOR NEBRASKA                                                    I-' 
 
 
EARLY RECORDS 
     RELATING TO GAME AND 
                FISH IN NEBRAS 
 
 
  Early records show that propagation 
of fish in Nebraska by the State was 
first attempted in the year 1879. The 
State Legislature of that year passing 
a law whereby our first Fish Commis- 
sion was originated. The act provided 
for a three-member board to be nom- 
inated by the Governor and by and with 
the consent of the Senate appoint same 
for a term of three years. The f'rst 
appointments being for a term of one, 
two, and three years respectively. This 
act was approved February 24, 1879 
and the appointments were made on 
June 2, 1879. The members of the 
board received no compensation  but 
were allowed not over $500.00 annual- 
 
 
incurred. 
  The first ven- 
ture made by the 
n e w Commission 
in fish  propaga- 
tion was the pur- 
chase of 200,000 
California Salmon 
eggs, 190,000 fish 
b e i n g reported 
hatched    f r o m 
these eggs. 
  This same year 
German Carp was 
ordered      from 
Prof. Spencer F. 
Baird of the U. S. 
Fish Commission. 
The following 
spring the Com- 
mission was noti- 
fied that their al- 
lotment of carp 
 
 
was at St. Louis, 
Missouri, and 
James G. Romaine was immediately 
dispatched to transport the fish to Ne- 
braska. Out of the allotment of 135 
fish only two were lost in transporta- 
tion. 
  The following statement is found in 
the 1879 leport of the Commission: 
"Of all the fishes considered desirable 
for the waters of Nebraska there are 
none, perhaps so well suited, as the 
German Carp. This fish is of elegant 
flavor and most desirable for table u :e. 
It is not predatory: does not destroy 
its own young or those of others: it 
lives on vegetable production: is adapt- 
ed to rolly waters and ponds and at- 
tains a weight of ten pounds at ma- 
turfty. Among the most desirable fea- 
 
 
tures is the fact that it is exceedingly 
prolific. Those gentlemen who have 
given the most time to observing the 
fish, claim that a four pound carp will 
yield 500 000 eggs and that an eight 
or nine pound carp will yield the enor- 
mous number of 1,500,000 eggs." 
  The Statute of 1899 provided a pen- 
alty of not less than $10.00 or not less 
than 10 days in jail for each    carp 
killed, taken, or destroyed. 
  The Legislature of 1901 repealed 
the law enacted in 1879 creating the 
Fish Commission and created the Game 
& Fish Commission of the State of Ne- 
braska. Hunting and Fishing license 
were first required in Nebraska that 
year, the Legislature having passed a 
bill requiring all residents of Nebras- 
ka hunting or fishing in any county of 
Nebraska, other than the county in 
 
 
Taking Life Easy on the Way North 
 
which they reside, to have license. This 
law was repealed in 1921 and the new 
law required all residents of Nebraska 
over 16 years of ae, hunting or fsh- 
ing, to have license regardless of where 
hunting or fishing. 
  The Legislature of 1929 originated 
our present Game, Forestation     and 
Parks Commission, consisting of a five 
member board, members of said board 
being appointed by the Governor with 
the consent of a majority of all mem- 
bers of the State Legi lature and no 
more than three of them affiliated with 
the same political party. 
                  -W. H. LYTLE, 
                              Deputy. 
 
 
   JUNIOR: CHAMBER TO HELP 
 
   The Junior Chamber of Commerce in 
Nebraska has been asked by the Amer- 
ican Wildlife Institute at Washington 
to assist in the organizaticn a _d coor- 
dinating of all outdoor organizations 
to the end that better results can be 
obtained. 
  We have been advised by Dr. Merritt 
C. Peterson of Lincoln, who is in 
charge of this work for the Junior 
Chamber that letters will soon be in 
the mails inviting representatives from 
selected organizations as well as in- 
dividuals interested to participa e in a 
state meeting at Lincoln on Satur 'ay, 
February 15 at the Chamber of Com- 
merce building, to organize a Nebras- 
ka State Wildlife Council, wh:ch will 
be a federation of all conservation 
                    arOUnS   t o  (1 ) 
 
 
consider      and 
formulate a Ne- 
braska state pro- 
gram for conser- 
va',ion of wildli e, 
(2)    to   secure 
definite action in 
Nebraska looking 
toward state and 
national conserva- 
tion results, (3) 
to secure repre- 
sentation  in  de- 
termining a sound 
a n d comprehen- 
sive naional con- 
servation   p r o - 
gram, (4) to co- 
crdinate   s t a t e 
coun, ils into  a 
national council. 
   "With     that 
thought in mind," 
 
 
                    says  Dr. Peter- 
                    son, "the United 
States Junior Chamber of Commerce 
is sponsoring a national program of ac- 
tion for conservation of natural re- 
sources. In each state of the Unicn, 
conferences are to be held, in whi h 
meetings the need     for coordinated 
activity is being explained, and state 
councils are to be organized. 
  "The United States Junior Chamler 
of Commerce, representing the organ- 
ized voice of America's young business 
men, have the conservaticn of na'ural 
resources as one of their declared 
eleven definite objectives for 1936. 
  "It is not the intention of the Junior 
Chamber to dominate the Nebraska 
Wild Life Council or tCe council of 
      (Continued on page 13) 
 
 
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