New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-31
PRESERVING me ADIRONDACE&.
SENATOR MILLER's VIEWS.

PURCHASE or LANDS AND ESTABLISHMENT oF \
FORESTRY COMMISSION RECOMMENDED.
At dinner Of The New-York Farmers" few
evenings since, when the subject of forestry was
under discussion, Senator Warner Miller. in the
course Of some oil hand remarks spoke "a follows
concerning the prc.orvatOn Of the North Woods:
Ny Judgment Is just this: that the entire Adirondack
region should De again eventually owned by the state.
II was originally owned by the state, but tie State
under a system when forestry not thought o. dis
posed OF those lands fOr about cents acre and from
year 10 year. those land, have bccn .od for unpaid
ta1e. instead OF the state taking the Lands by bidding
them IN herself they hsye been sold and thus II has
gone on until TIL. whole Adirondack region. which is en-
trey uun, for farming purposes Ia, passed into private
ownership ana largely into the hands Of do not dare
10 say railroad company for Is not called that but OF
tho Adirondack Land Company. At all c'euts, the
state gave tho A1Ioudlcd Company some hundreds OF
thousands Of acre, In connection with II, charter and
this land has been held ~ that company and but very
little OF II has been cut OIL
The frat AMI practical proposition viii he 10 recover
this land back the State IN some proper and legitimate
way For the people Of the state to buy this land back
at a fair valuation involves an economic question Tn
doubtcy the State holds eminent domain aud can &C
quirc Il by paying what commission says IL f. worth
Undoubtedly also the state should not allow any Lands
sold for taxes but all lands should De- bought Ia by
the itself and should be preserved Tie fist move
sbould certainly be a Forc,tr, Commission. The com
mission thus appointed should not be mercy aeon,
time HsAng aud hunting but II should be composed ..
State ofIceTs-scientlhc and practical Srutlcmeh-unl
into their hands the question should ne committed ana
from their reports from year To year TOO legislature
would De able 10 act Hcllgcnty. without hucA reports
the Legislature cannot act inteigenty Gentlemen VINO
90 to the Legislature have not the Time ana are no aoe
to give To the study Of th' question such attention as
mission warrant H. believe the good people of the state
OF NewYork Will be perfectly willing 10 invest ~ The
Adirondack ten millions Of dOl"rs There
is doubt about that AZ ALL and all We are told true
the Adirondack region would be cheap at Ity millions OF
IplIar 4 WAS bgI
REGION aud have shcd and hunted In every township In
It, know 1t from beginning to end II Is In my belief
the wonderful country In the world. As resort
for health, OF for pleasure and ~ place where gentle
may delight 10 90 there Is not ~ equal IN the
fourth OF the entire surface Of the state u
New-YOrk, there untold number Of akes and
how many there are no one knows You may 30 on the
top Mount Marcy NhlteaCe and you may look over
100 miles OF leay continent" and woods from
one end 20 the other dotted here and there by the most
the umbennen from ~ sides ard Of course you cannot
eat the cake and have II at the same tine.
But you cannot stop numbering, because you need ur-
Der "a much you do iron brass The only thing 20
be done to do what Europe Is dons;o preserve the
each year and what the height OF timber shall be- and
only IN that way let Il be sold and INFO the market
II il fact that The forest. In the Adrondacks- aud they
are largely spruceare OF sOt-sawing TIMBER that Will
grow In about twenty five years. know large lumber
company in the northern part Of Herkmer County that
have been cutting lumber In one particular region thirty
years, and they told they now recuttng where
they cut years ago. ana tno suGo on ,HUso
They cut only the saving timber and left the small
unDe u ~ ys 1uS tbcir nraprrtv Ui,lp"tay
That Is bit Of practical experience that VIII go long
way IN telling our people what those lands are worth
The first thing 10 DO therefore, is to establish For
estry Commission OF scientific and practical men. Next
which can be bought at fair price, and then IT, after
full investigation Dy tue Forestry Commission, we are
lands take them by the right OF eminent domain and pay
for them, and eventually have the whole OF II under
control and let the country DO cut over each year
~ the Commission shall decide.