New-York tribune., 1896-10-28
DAVID MCLURE DEFICIENCIES 1T.
THE WE;II.-KEOWN LAWYER ADVISES THE
PEOPLE TO VOTE AGAINST THE FOR-
ESTRY LAW AMENDMENT


David Mcclure. WHO member Of the Con-
stitutiona Convention which put through the pro-
vision now in the Constitution protecting the ior-
ests of the State. yesterday save out letter In
answer TO card issued by the state flsheres'
Game and Forest Commission In defence Of the one
ocrstitutiona amendment to be voted for at the
coming election. lie says In part:
They do not tell what they did with the Legis-
lature of 1896 can. This amendment was. upon
he G"y M m W R Wh6 5nf sanded it tn to the
who IT, and Tho M cerred az s rG9"gf 70 h
nTIaSHSf nTpTope co@mee ana ft"F This don in ny
presence and ! Immediately afterward took Mr.;
the people in adopting the forestry provision now
in force. lie then admitted the part played by
Mr. Weed then and now Is a member or the
present Commission. and he was a member of It's
Whsh on December T. @ iss4 after the people had
adopted the provision now In the CONSTITUTION dhl
evade it by meeting secretly behind closed doors
sioner having been brought special engine
ON to make quorum IhI sr9n'hS ,hi
sands of of State lands. And this i'm,
mediatey after vigorous fight before the Land
and a; which meeting Mir. Weed present. Was
President Davis. of the Commission ignorant Of all
this when he signed the statement of October 20 inst
made by the commisson? If SO hen, ne must St have have
diligently avoided knowing facts of which the gen.
wha, does the Commission offer in defence of the
they do nos say word in favor of the exchange
or sale of land proposition. and only refer TO the
proposition to lease holding that leases of small
parcels will do harm. The leasing prc-empts the
mos: available places on the most accessible lakes
to people probably friendly to the Comm ssloners for
a trhe thus excluding the general public. the loss
of the woods by fire and waste following in the wake
of such leases The Commissioners make plea IN
behalf OF those already holding leases. No consti-
tutional provision or other legal enactment can
affect existing leases but none Of these should be re-
The Commission speaks Of the advantage to the
State OF securing the revenue from the existing
leases. "as such funds are available for the further
purchase of forest lands"
Is this not absurd, when Il is known that, as ap-
pears hy the report of the Forestry Commission OF
S9i transmitted the Legislature January 81, 1925.
a copy of which Is now before me. that me wnoe
amount received from leases o. Adirondack camp
SITES during a year was the magnificent sum or
prob b,ion against leasing went into effect January
l. 1895
Their best duty will lie in the direction Of caring
for tho forests as they find them. leaving the making
of laws to those charged with that duty The people
should stamp the proposition with dsappIOvdl Dy
voting against the proposition to amend the COsi!~
tutjon which means the destruction of the forests
protertjon TO the forests not only the enjoy
u,cnf OF the woods themselves by the people OF the
State hui Is necessary for the existence OF our water
courses and our canals The wholesale destruction
which has gone on for years has already diminished
the water in our rivers and lakes TO an alarming eN-
tant and has caused the dangerous frcshets from
tho expcn9l;ure Of 100000 for the improvement of
the canals and this expenditure VIII he wasted II
the reservoirs in the woods are destroyed by the Guy
ling Of timber and the sale and leasing OF our punhc
wild lands Yours truly. DAVID VI 'iDi'h-
NeW-York October =, 1870.