The absolute necessity for having a State-wide fish law becomes
more evident each year. The control of getting of nets is one of the
biggest problems the Commission has to deal with. The heads of
Maryland's rivers are the natural spawning ground for fish and the
nets are so numerous and set so close together it is almost impossible
for the fish to reach the spawning grounds. The Commission is seek-
ing. co-operation on the part of Virginia to help in this matter, but it
will probably be necessary, to secure Federal legislation.

The fish department propagated and planted 400,000,000 fish fry of
the salt water varieties, such as white and yellow perch, shad, rock
and pike, during the spring of 1921. The fresh water hatchery propa-
gated and planted 998,350 brook and rainbow trout, large mouth bass,
catfish, sunfish and crappie.

At the 1922 Legislature session the Commission had passed a bill
increasing the tax from 1 cent to 2 cents per bushel on oysters caught
within Maryland and from 1-3 cent to 2-3 cent on outstate oysters.
This will increase revenue $45,000 a year and will nearly make the
Commissoin self-supporting. Several other bills were passed by the
Legislature, principal among which was one giving authority to the
Commission to reserve up to 1,000 acres of depleted oyster bottom in
any part of the State, for the purpose of protecting the young growth
to insure proper development.

The Game Warden's department liberated during the past year
about 10,000 Mexican quail (partridges) into the covers of the State,
as well as 2,900 pheasants, and distributed 8,954 pheasants' eggs to
persona in the State who agreed to hatch the eggs and liberate the
young birds. The game laws are being strictly enforced by a com-
petent corps of Deputy Game Wardens, and game is becoming more
plentiful in the State.

STATE INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION,
Equitable Building, Baltimore.

Name., Term Expires. Postoffice.
Commission:

Robert E. Lee, Chairmaa............1924 ......................................Baltimore
George Louis Eppler......................1926 ..................................Cumberland
Joseph B. Harrington......................l928 .............................................Easton

Secretary, W. W. Brown..............................................Baltimore

Governor appoint three, not more than two of whom shall be of
the same political faith, one for 6 years, one for 4 years, and one for
2 years, and as these terms expire the successor is appointed for 6
years. The Governor designates the chairman. (Ch. 800, 1914.)

The State Industrial Accident Commission is charged with the duty
of administering the Workmen's Compensation Law. The law pro-
vides, first, for the payment of compensation to employees injured in
certain extra-hazardous employments, and to their dependents in case
of death; second, for all employers in such occupations shall secure the
payment of such compensation by insuring their liability in a stock
company, or the State Accident Fund, or by proving to the satisfac-
tion of the Commission their financial ability to pay the compensation
direct.

The business of the Commission is to administer to the Workmen's
Compensation Act and involves determining what occupations are in....