New-York tribune., 1906-02-26
TO SAVE HUDSON BEAUTY.
Hearing on Bill to Ertend Pozcers
of Palisades Commission.

The Assembly Committee on Finance will give
nearing at Albany In few days the Car
penter bill to enlarge the powers of the COM
mission on the Palisades Interstate Park which
Ior some nine years has been acquiring control of
the Palisades to create an interstate park and pre
vent the destruction of the Palisades by quarry
men, Inc final purpose of the Carpenter bill is to
ehaoie the commission to extend the area of the
proposed park from Piermont eighteen miles
aoove Fort Lee which is the northern limit Of the
Palisades proper to Stony Point fifteen miles
further north, where the government has reserva-
ton. This would create continuous preserve
from the northern limits of Hoboken into tba
heart OF the Highlands and put an end to the
destructive work of the quarrymen, who have
already injured great areas of the lower Pal
isades and have totally efaced the once beautiful
Indian Head
The movement which caused the introduction of
the Carpenter bill was the result of an attack on
HOOK Mountain by three quarres, which have
blasted out some thousands OF tons of rock from
the race OF the mountain. The public Indignation
which brought about the creation of the Palisades
commission slumbered for years The prog
ress made by the commission long since assured
the preservation of the Palisades proper but public
indignation was aroused again when the attack
was made on Hook Mountain last year The
societies and citizens from whom were obtained
the funds with which the Palisade properties were
purchased determined. If possible to drive the
quarrymen from every foot OF property available
to them on the west shore OF the Hudson The
ownership Of much OF the west shore of the river
from Haverstraw to Newburg insures the preserva-
Iion or the greater part Of that territory The
SIuted states government reservations at West
Point Iona Island and Stony Point are of course
permanent Much of the river shore between
west Point and Iona Island is already owned
py private estates and is safe against distinctions
put between Piermont, to which point the work of
tended, and Stony Point there is strip of fifteen
miles. much OF which has yet to be acquired
before the eviction of the quarrymen is completed
Under the act which created the Palisades Com
mission. and under which it has operated its
powers of purchase limited the area OF the
Palisades alone, and 1t has rights requirement
beyond Piermont In order acquire the additional
territory IT was found necessary TO extend the
powers or the commission by legislation and
with this In view the Carpenter bill was drawn
Repeated efforts have been made to obtain the
introduction OF the measure in the Senate, but
lack of interest on the part OF some Senators and
decided opposition from others have prevented it
The opposition TO the Carpenter bill has been led
by representatives of the quarry owners who are
making determined fight and are bringing con-
the legislature be reached by them The
argument OF the quarrymen is that the passage of
the bill Will deprive them of their inalienabe rights
as property owners and will entail great losses
Wnlch they cannot hope to recover from the COM
mission. They have reported their holdings on
Hook Mountain alone to be valued at something
more than s2O00.000 Investigation by the sponsors
Tor the Carpenter bill has shown however that
the Hook Mountain properties are actually as
sessed at $4,000. which. under the law Is eighty
per cent OF their full value.