New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-07
THE FORESTS IN DANGER.
OPPOSITION TO THE ADIRONDACK BILL

LADEN WITH AMENDMENTS THAT WOULD DE-
sTROY 1T.
tFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRrBUNR.l
ALBANY, March 6.-The bill for the preseryaton
of the Adirondack forests was debated by the
Assembly to-day, but it cannot be said that the
debate brought any glory to the State.
The committee of the Chamber Of Com
merce of New York witnessed the onslaught
upon the bill. There were present of the
committee Morris X. Jesup, d. Willis James 7. B.
Coddington, ex-senator Wagstaff Professor c. A.
Sargent of Harvard College, and Professor Hough.
For weeks this committee has been pressing npOn
the attention Of the Legislature the havoc that is
being made by the lumbermen in Adirondack
woods, and ing the necessity of protecting the
trees. Their efforts to induce the Committee on
Public Lands of the Assembly To approve of a bill
creating on Adirondack Reservation have constant
ly met with the opposition of the Assemb ymen
from the northern part of the State. The chairman
of the Committee, Mr.. Boynton, of Essex County,
one of tho counties affected by the project, showed
a remarkable reluctance to draw up any bill, and
nally reported one which was wholly unsatsfac-
tory to the Chamber Of Commerce Committee. Ic-
day, however, the committee induced Mr. Boynton
to accept of amendments that they desired to mako
to the BILL 1t was interesting TO watch the process
by which these amendments were weakened. Tho
tom" park with ample boundaries, including
the nObest woods in the Adirondack region.
Mr. Boynton asserted in presenting the bill before
the Committee of the Whole that the Committee on
Public Lands had been acting with full regard for
the public demand that the Adirondack forests
should be preserved. They had drawn the bill
with the design of keeping the present State lands
in the Adirondack region, and adding those which
would be of value TO the State in forming q
reservation. He then offered the several
amendments suggested by the Chamber of Com
merce Committee The Assembly, seemingly in
gracious, mood, accepted them Then came OPpoS,
If lands owned by private individuals were not in
cuded within the limits of the reservation. .,
There are such lands within the reservation
"And do not the lands of private persons within
the reservation exceed two TO one the lands Of the
Statei" asked Mr.. Beckwith, of ST. Lawrence
County.
Il have no doubt of that" consented Mr. Boyn-
ton.
THE DESTRUCTIVE AMENDMENTS
Mr.. O'Neil, of Franklin County, offered an amend
ment taking off large slice of Franklin County
from the reservation. Mr.. Boynton accepted it.
The amendments of the Chamber Of Commerce
approprating $40, 900 to carry out the purposes OF
the act, and authorizing the Governor TO appoint
three commissioners to care for the reservation,
were next considered.
an earnest speech in behalf of the bill. He held
the attention of the Assembly while he graphically
described the destruction of fertile valley III
Southern France by the cutting of OF trees on the
mountains and the lab0rs of the French Govern
ment to retrieve this misfortune by planting trees
I'VE are preparing our lands for a similar fate
almost before eyes, hundreds Of acres OF
land have been devastated in the Ohio valley.
The effect of the destruction of the forests In the
Adirondacks is already perceptble, but yo1 can
woods far more clearly in the Catsklls, Where the
destruction was greater. There they cut off all the
woods. Almost all the streams dried up. and IL is
only now, when young growth of trees is sprnging
up, that little water is beginning to run in the
brooks again"
ought to be appointed and said that the bill had
been so carefully drawn that the rights OF no
would be dn of money Of wc9 wD4a
offered resolution cutting off - John Browns
tract" 2l3O0O acres from the proposed reservation.
MIR. Erwin, of ST. Lawrence County,
offered an amendment exelppting from
the provisions of the measure all OF st. La~rence
County. In support OF the motion, ne sald that
the streams in seVen-tenths OF the Adirondack
forest region flowed to the nOrthward, and only
three-tenths TO the southwark which II was desired
TO protect To the unutterable astonlShment 9t
the Chamber Of Commerce Committee the amend
ment was adopted, receiving 66 votes in its favor
Mr. Erwin then urged the adoption OF Mr. Aliens
amendment exempting the John Brown tract. This
also was adopted. He then moved that tue enact
ing clause of the bill should be stricken out. The
Assembly was apparently upon the point ot adopt
ing the motion ana tuuS hllllhS liA' bi Ni,'h
Hustled moved as an amendment that the bill
should be progressed Tie motion was defeated
by vote of 81 to Al.
SUBSTITUTE FOR THE ENTIRE BILL.
Mr.. BoyntOn said that it was evident from the
voting that the Assembly was opposed TO tho
creation of an Adirondack Reservation. He there
fore offered substitute for the entire bill. The
substitute contained none of the Chamber Of Com
merce's amendments and merely provided for the
appointment by the Controller of four Foresters TO
take of the state lands wthm certain
boundarv line Before the Assembly could act on
this substitute, upon motion OF Mr.. Hustled pro-
gress was ordered on the bill, and i was made
Special order for Monday night. Mr.. Hustled hopes
to resurrect the original bill with the Chamber Of
Commerce amendments. But IN the opinion of
nearly every wcl-infOmed observer In the Legisla.
fbp I,i - practically dead.