New-York tribune., 1907-03-15
CALLS MEETING PACKED
PreuentS Vote Being Taken at Water
Storage Conference.
IBy Telegraph to The tribune J

IBy Telegraph 20 The Iribune-J
Albany. March 14-After the conference OF
delegates from various boards Of trade ana
municipal bodies held here to-day to discuss
the proposed constitutional amendment to per-
NIT the flooding OF state lands John G. Agar
OF New York and New Rochelle, practically
charged that the meeting was packed by wafer
power people. He said he found that vote was
to be taken which would have been binolng' Ae
protested against it. and no vote was taken.
This unexpected outcome Of the meeting has
set the Capitol buzZing. This conference was
called several days ago by the Albany Chan-
Der OF Commerce to discuss the proposed Mer-
r1tt constitutional amendment Invitations were
issued TO municipal organizations and others
interested in water storage. When MI Agar
arose to speak he said he found a formal vote
was to be taken, though when his organization
the Society for the Protection of the Adiron-
dacks. received its invitation he understood
that any action taken would be merely to reg
lister the sense OF the meeting. Later he Issued
this statement:
was surprised TO find that the convention was
gathered together for the purpose OF taxing we tS
large number Of people invited very few ATTENDED lea
IRON the state at large ana .RGge prae axes to
grind Ia opposition to the interests OF al te PEI PEI
thing except desire on the part Of persons who
were backing this conference 70 ger baber ~
Commerce Of Albany was a party TO this effort TO
eign to the original intention.
I stated in opening my address that came sim
wished lay before the conference TO the mean
ing OF the amendment and me POIy a nroeeedngs
and think that the methods employed shou4o %
may add that various boards and ASSOCIATIONS
from New York City refused to attend 6he I'm, IN
ference because they suspected that such an eIoTt
1 gave careful attention to the various addresses
were IN favor OF the resolution came ron paI Is %
the state which would be especially benentted ara
from corporations which had acquired vested IN
vesteS interests eSSe IN Th,S tbe Adirondack Park
an sorry that the opportunity OF having Tea! F
impression Of the views Of all sections OF the state
was not had because really & 9eeVs veins, eS he he
passage Of The resolution % ana th9 o Res
rights In Its water power.
H. r. Bryan. representing the Citizens Asso-
citation. OF Hudson. had 10 leave during the dis
cussion OF the amendment lie asked to be re-
corded against It and smingly remarked that
he supposed It would make difference. as
the names OF the delegates would make very
good mill and power directory" Another dele
gale explained how the delegation might have
been packed"
why. it was all beautifully simple" he said.
when the invitations sent out to the va
nous bodies to send delegates they were asked
TO state if they would accept how many dele
gates they would send and If they were for
against the storage plan. AS soon the
plies were received they could have wired to the
delegations that were for the amendment 70
send so many extra delegates, enough to give
them q decided majority"
Attention was called by many here to the at
tempts that the pro-amendment men have been
making to create public sentiment in favor OF
this proposition. Press agents had worked untIr-
!ngIy IN this direction. Il was said, and nothing
had been left undone that coald create public
opinion in favor OF the legislation
Mr Agar at the meeting spoke q length
against the amendment He showed danger OF
the usurpation by private interests Of what
was Intended for public benefit.
If this amendment was adopted Il will result
In the acquisition by private interests Of in
vested rights which the state will afterward re-
Quire," he said
Medical testimony IS very strongly TO the
effect that promiscuous construction OF dams
and reservoirs VIII effect detTimentaly the san
ftary conditions Of the Adirondacks. II the
amendment were passed II would open the whole
Adirondacks 10 the building Of dams and reser-
voirs.
The passage Of this resolution will retard the
general industrial development OF the state, be-
cause II VIII allow private interests to acquire
vested rights in water flow aid water power
that viii enable them 10 charge higher rates
for power and thus prevent the general devel-
opment Of power plants"
AsseInblyInan Merritt spoke for his amend
ment- He urged that the people OF his section
wanted II. and that it was so drawn that tho
interests Of the state were securely guarded. He
asked for some other plan which would solve the
problem. IL this were not approved
Although IL had been intended TO vote tho
question Of presenting resolutions to the Legis-
lature favoring the passage Of the amendment.
no vote was eventually taken.