The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-07
rately and s%uccinctly stated by the
highest court Of the State to be:

guardians OF the public by enabling then
to prevent the Issue of stock and bond
Tor other than statutory purposes or an.
appreciable or unfair excess In the valu
OF the assets securing them. and to pre-
vent also unneeded or extortionate com
petition and unaccommodating methods o
operation. or oppressive or dtscriminatin,
charges or rates. 1t provided for a regu
lation and control which were INTENDED
to prevent on the one hand the evils o
an unrestricted right OF competition. an,
on the other hand the abuses Of mo
nopoly.
The establishment Of these commits
sions has put an end to the scandals
resulting from corporate influence
with the Legislature and efforts a,
Legislative blackmail Of corporations
Senator Root said in the conventions:
No greater reform has been wrought II
the public life Of our country than ha,
been wrought by the transfer Of this At
tempt to regulate those great corpora
lions from the legislative bodies of tn,
country to public service commissions.
1t wal for the purpose of prevent.
ing a recurrence to the old vicious
system that the convention adopted
the provision which puts into the Con.
stltution enough to pe~rpetuate the
commissions. while leaving the Lesis-
lature unfettered to enact such iegis.
lation as from time to time may Ike
deemed effective to protect the public
against the abuse Of public franchises
by the corporations engaged in their
exercise.
A new article In the revised Con-
stitution creates a Department of
Conservation, charged with Cd the
development and protection Of { he
natural Of the State; (2)
the encouragement Of forestry and
the suppression of forest Tree through
out the State: 90 the exclusive care.
management and administration Of the
forest preserves; (4) the conservation,
prevention Of pollution and regulation
Of the waters Of the State; 90 the pro-
lection and propagation OF its fish,
birds, game. shellfsh and ~crustacea;
t6) the enforcement OF the general
laws Of the State respecting the sub
jects hereinbefore enumerated; and
% the exercise OF such additional
powers as from time to time mag be
conferred upon 1t by law.
These great powers over the natural
Of the State are to be exer-
cised by a board Of nine commissions
ers, who are to serve without compen-
sation, to be appointed by the Cover
nor. by and with the advice and con-
Of the Senate. In the first in
stance, they are to be appointed for
terms n OF which shall expire each
year for nine successive years. the
first beginning January 1, 1917. Their
successors are to be appointed for
terms OF nine years each. One COM
missioner is required to reside in each
judicial district.
The method OF constituting this
has been criticised as de-
priving the Governor Of control over
II, and as being q departure from the
principle Of power with responsibility
which the reorganization of the State
departments is intended to establish.
But the provision was designedly
framed I o remove the Department Of
Conservation entirely from either ex-
or legislative interference. Its
organization was modelled after the
Of Regents of the University.
consists Of line unpaid mem
bers. the term of one Of whom expires
each year. II was framed in view of
past experience. In 1885 the Legisla-
ture created a forest commission OF
three commissioners. In 1895 they
were legislated out Of office and a
commission known a. the Fisheries.
and Forest Commission created,
of Ave members. In 1897
that commission was legislated out OF
office and a board of three members
created. whose powers were increased
in 1899, and whose title in 1900 was
changed to Forest, Fish and Game
Commission. In 1901 this commission
vas reduced from five IN three In
1903 the commission was made single
headed. In 1907 the commissioner was
in January. 1911. and that commits
again changed in May, 1911.
Still another change was made in
1911, when the commission
again was made to consist OF three
members. In 1915 those three were
legislated out of office and IA single
headed Commission of Conservation
The purpose of the amendment
by the Committee on
Conservation was stated by Delegate
spencer Clinton of Buffalo to be hat
The commissioners should be APP
lin such a way that there
will be continuity of experience, on
.inuity OF knowledge. continuity of
hat through the coming years
shall he able to give to the people