New York State Forestry 51 



tially no taxes upon these properties. About 1820 the owners 

 commenced to feel the continued expense of taxation, without 

 deriving revenue from their lands, and their interest in the 

 properties decreased. This became so general that the State found 

 it necessary to enact laws which would require the payment of 

 the taxes, and in case the taxes were not paid a statutory machin- 

 ery was established providing for the sale of the land for the 

 unpaid taxes. During the same period acts were passed for 

 the improvement of streams for driving purposes, and miscella- 

 neous lumbering commenced. 



The following years lumbering increased and in many instances 

 the finest of the pine was cut and the owners permitted the land 

 to revert for taxes. In case no one was found who would pay 

 the taxes assessed against the land and take the property, the 

 State had to pay the taxes and, of course, took the land. The 

 purpose of the State at that time was to secure, through taxes, 

 money for the support of the government. The Comptroller, 

 the State's fiscal officer, was charged with the duty of collection 

 and had charge of sales. He would hold the land for a period 

 of years and if a purchaser appeared would, therefore, sell the 

 land for the amount which the State had against the property. 

 His function was to secure cash revenue. These purchasers 

 usually acquired the land simply for the purpose of taking off 

 another cut of timber and would then permit the land to again 

 revert for unpaid taxes, the State would again become the owner, 

 and in many instances this process was repeated several times. 



In the late TO's a Commission was appointed to make an inves- 

 tigation and report upon the desirability of establishing a park in 

 the Adirondacks, and about this time there was some agitation 

 and recommendations by the Governors in regard to this 

 property. 



It was not, however, until 1883 when Chapter 13 was enacted 

 prohibiting the further sale of any lands in what is now the major 

 portion of the forest preserve counties, that this practice was 

 prevented. With the enactment of this law the State found itself 

 in possession of approximately 800,000 acres of land indicated 

 upon the books of the Comptroller by land grants, patents, town- 

 ships and lot numbers without any definite knowledge as to their 

 location, value, etc. In the following year a small appropriation 

 was made and a committee was appointed to make an examination 



