New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-25
PRESERVE THE FORESTS.
A PUBLIC MEETING FOR The MOVEMENT.
ADDRESSES BY MORRIS X. JEsCP EXJuDGE
HIGLEY, f. II. ROBERTS, GROVER CLfNE~
LAND AND oTHEEs-IEsoLU-

The movement for forest preservation In TINS sa'e
Aroncbt over 900 enthusiastic supporters to the
lecture room Of the Museum Of Natural History yes
tcrtav afternoon The occasion the first public
meeting Of the New-YOrk State Forestry Association.
Morris r. Jesup presided and made brief speech in
the course of which he congratulated the public on
the union Of the association with the Museum OF
Natural History, and spoke OF the rapidly growing
sentiment In favor Of preserving the Adirondack
forests The first speaker introduced was eX-Judse
Warren Higlcy, formerly Of Ohio, now Of Ncw-lork.
His address was Plea for Practical Forestry" on
the folly Of delay in taking protect tho
North Woods, he drew Illustration from France
About forty years ago. he said, the Government
Of France became alarmed at the fact that entire com
munities had become impoverished through the de
toresation Of mountain lands and ordered careful
examination Of the condition and needs of the reported
sections 1t was found that $4,000 acres needed To
he rcforesied for of public utility, and 1900
miles of torrents to be checked and brought under
control The work al begun, and IN 1857
II reported that 103,l3S OF these mountiin
lands had been put in requisite forest conditions by tho
Government. at cost Of S4,3G5,15O. further OK
pcndture is estimated TO be necessary in the round
Of s34 900 600 to complete the work Of refreshing
Thus pay the penalty Of the folly of delay
To-day the forest administration Of France ranks among
the foremost IN Europe"
Ellis IL. Roberts. Assistant United states Treasurer
said that "a hopeful sign the number oil people
Interested in forestry To protect the forests" Tic
continued lit is not necessary to wage war on tho
lumbcrman We must teach him that ii Is 10 his Ill
tcrest to save the woods. and make him help us. We
need wage the hunter, nor on the fisher
on the railroads. We need the cooperation
of all, not the enmity. The railroads must he
allies. foes. | don't believe that either sent
duty will persuade the Legislature TO help us
In this matter. We must appeal to the taxpayers
We must convince the taxpayers that there's millions
In it, That will be all that is necessary. Then we
shall get what We want. and not till then"
Mr. Roberts characterized the dams in the Adiron
dacks sort of material profanity against nature
lie wanted to institute passover in the woods he
would mark the Young, trees TO be saved, ana Only
trees above twelve inches In diameter should be sur
fcred TO be cut.
A. W. Gleason, an old Adirondack tramp of thirty
festive summers he styled himself, held radical
views on the subject under discussion. said he
The only way to save tree is not TO let anybody
cut it down. don't believe in regulating the lum-
bermen: / believe I'm driving em out. wouldn't let
a lumbcrman 90 into the woods till was sure he'd
left his axe on the outside II there's anything this
side of the Kingdom OF Heaven that love. II Is tree
II there's anything hate, II is man who will hack
or cut or MAIN tree. II won't do 10 license em -
cut trees over twelve inches. That would be all
right il such trees quarter of mile apart bat
when ;Aey grow so close together that man can
s,arey force his way between them the result would
b. almost a total clearing up. No; / wouldn't aIlo"
a tree Of any size to be cut. l would pass law
taxing every loc tina, floats Gown tibutaiy Of the
Hudson $40. and I'd that the tax was Corrected
That's one way to save the forests
The Rev. Dr. Lundy, president of the pennsylvania
state Forestry Association, told about the total
destruction Of the pine forests OF the keystone stA'e
and spoke OF the hdeOu de>OlaOn OF the Adirohdtcho
from Ocdcnsbulg to oaranac Lake, tn most dcsolac
reson he had seen this side oi the Dcid sea. HIS
association WAS striving to pass la" to prevent
,l.. .ffp.
william ro,t, chairman OF ;he Executive Committee
or the Forestry Associations then read an1 moved the
adoption OF these re- lltons:
Whcici, 1hc commercial prosperity OF the State o:
Ncw.Yok largely dependent upon the free ana '"'o
navigation the Hudson River and oil inc !-i' N"'"
which IA, tuln draws it, water the Black River and
wlercas, For reason the public Interests i"peia,
N,y retention Of the forest covering upon inc
maintain ,orc> from whic. thpsc rivers t,tc their Use
bceau,e without this covering the liability to alternate
disastrous floods viii be greatly increased
ID .
whereas Yhc preservation of these forests is senialy
conceded to b. also utmost Importance ~ the pubic
health and
Whereas. REMOVAL i progressing with great RAPID
it many places II once removed they can never
b. restored:
a. IN. caic.t practicable establish aJsout; state
,ontio sufficient extent Of the Adirondack region TO
uaint.in the needed protection
Resolved That pending the completion Of The arrange
contIo the legislature urged pass such measures
II, may b. practicable minimize the further dettucton
OF timber IN this dstict
E,sol,ed That to this end urge the passage Of
l. prohibit the building of railroads over any state
aaas I'm the Adirondack region without previous consent
of the Comm,>ioicrs Of the Land once and che STATE
Forest Commission, alter adequate public hearing
q 10 lrohitit the building OF dims in this region by
means OF which any llnda belonging TO the state may b.
Hooded and the forests thereon may BE- destroyed
g. 10 increase the efficiency OF the Stat control In tho
direction preventing forest Arcs detecting ana punish
ing trespassers upon lands, renewing the forests
upon denuded ana burned districts. and into1nche
thorough conservative scientific forest administfon
Resolved That 30 far these provisions may o. needed
to maintain favorable conditions in the Catsk the ieder'
berg and the >hawanguni Mountains ana elsewhere
throughout the STATE they be extended to cover these
Districts.
Grover CeN Gland seconded the motion and expressed
,,e,vs nm fore preservation which received with
some applause. His idea was not to Try 10 90 100
much a, first but 10 20 ahead with tho protection AMI
prcservation of that part of the Adirondack region
already owned by the state.
a. too. am an AdirJndacker," he said Il have
seen the waste places spoken Of | have witnessed
the desolation alluded to- But shall continue 10 90
there every summer. And | have been in another
waste place another wldernessthe Capitol in the city
of Albany. II would preserve our woods we must
begin little cultivation there. Acting on the theory
of Alr. Gleason. propose committee OF LIS To 60
to Albany take the legislators by the caIs-thcre
are lust LIS Of them-and lead them 10 the waste
places in the ftest. that they would be forced
10 see what they are now blind TO- In that way
We could accomplish something. If we had begun
twenty years earlier. this problem would have hcon
far less difficult Every year increases the dhculty
Lands are constantly appreciang in value, OWNS 70
purchases By clubs, hotels etc. Those people love
the woods much a. We do and II we want 10 D'W
their holdings they will want al the more to keep them
Ict us fake care OF what already own, and the
acquisition OF the rest will be comparatively easy.
Let us but get foothoh. believe that great deal
could be by gaining the cooperation of those VINO
own lands in the forest. Every wcllregula,ed club
wants what want. We must guard against one
thing: we must not shock economical Legislature
economical in such matters thlsby asking for too
much money. In the preservation Of Niagara, If we
,ah hnfnre The Lnci.lafuIe for annLnnratinn