530 



NEW YORK. 



more successful than last year. The shad work 

 shows an increase over the preceding year, and 

 was done upon entirely different lines, the eggs 

 and fry being obtained from the Susquehanna 

 River Fish Commission. 



Forest Preservation. During the year a 

 careful investigation of the State's landed inter- 

 ests in the Adirondack preserve was made by the 

 Comptroller, who found numerous frauds and 

 depredations which, if not corrected, will result 

 in the practical destruction of the Adirondack 

 forest. These depredations are classed as fol- 

 low : First, where the State lands are entered 

 upon and the timber cut and stolen therefrom. 

 It is said that evidence exists going to show that 

 State officials appointed to protect the State for- 

 ests against trespass are in collusion with the 

 trespassers. Second, where a form of selling the 

 land has been gone through with, the pretended 

 buyer entering upon the land and denuding it 

 entirely of its valuable timber, and then secur- 

 ing a cancellation of the sale upon the ground of 

 defect either in the tax sale or the State's sale to 

 the pretended buyer. Third, where valuable 

 tracts of land have been lost to the State by ir- 

 regular cancellation of tax sales and taxes. An 

 attempt made by the Adirondack Railway to se- 

 cure from the State Land Board permission to 

 extend its road from North creek to Long lake 

 failed of success, but when made to the State 

 Forest Commission was successful. An injunc- 

 tion to set aside the grant was obtained, and a 

 constitutional amendment prohibiting the use of 

 State lands by railroads has gone into effect. 



Topography. The United States Geological 

 Survey will soon issue topographical maps cov- 

 ering about one fifth of New York State, the re- 

 sults of the recent survey to which the State ap- 

 propriated $24,000, the Government adding an 

 equal amount. The parts already covered in- 

 clude Albany, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, and 

 Buffalo, and the Niagara river, part of the Erie 

 Canal, all of the Champlain Canal system and 

 neighborhood, locating exactly and correctly for 

 the first time the eastern boundary of the State. 

 The exact area and boundary of every town and 

 village are also given for the first time. This 

 map gives every railroad, elevation, house, road, 

 creek, river, and ravine in the State. The eleva- 

 tions are indicated by a line marking every rise 

 or fall of 20 feet. Thus a road can be followed 

 in every turn, up and down every hill, and across 

 every stream. The tourist regions of Watkins 

 Glen, the Adirondacks, and the Catskills are also 

 given for the first time. 



Political. On Sept. 18-19 a Republican 

 State convention was held in Saratoga Springs. 

 William Brookfield, chairman of the State Com- 

 mittee, called the convention to order, and 

 named Lemuel E. Quigg as temporary chair- 

 man. For the permanent organization'Warner 

 M iller was made chairman. Concerning national 

 issues, the platform said of the party in power : 



Denouncing political corruption, it lias rewarded 

 the largest contributors to its campaign fund by for- 

 eign missions ; denouncing trusts, it permitted one of 

 them to formulate its tariff bill ; promising a con- 

 tinuance of the vigorous foreign policy, it substituted 

 a " policy of infamy " when Hawaii was freely ottered 

 us; denouncing the Sherman act as a cowardly make- 

 shift, it was enabled to repeal the silver-purchasing 



clause of that act only by the help of Eepublican 

 Senators; arraigning Protection as u a fraud upon 

 labor," it passed a protective measure that barely es- 

 caped the veto of a Democratic President ; advocating 

 free raw materials and an extension of our foreign 

 trade, it destroyed all the profitable reciprocal agree- 

 ments made by President Harrison; pledging itself 

 to the payment of u just and liberal pensions," it treats 

 the Union soldier as if the Grand Army badge were 

 the badge of beggary and brigandage ; pledging re- 

 trenchment, it exceeded at the last session of Congress 

 the expenditures of the corresponding session of the 

 last Eepublican Congress by $27,000,000 j n the face 

 of decreasing revenues, and after it had added x.~)ii,- 

 000,000 to the debt; while pretending to be in favor 

 of individual freedom, it hastened to enact an in- 

 come-tax force bill, empowering deputy collectors to 

 enter the homes of citizens and compel them, by- 

 threats of official summons and heavy penalties, to 

 disclose their private aifairs. 



Of State issues it said : 



In this State, as in the nation, Democratic pledges 

 are made to be broken. The Democratic party made 

 its solemn pledge to economize State expenditures, 

 abolish useless State commissions, reduce the tax 

 rate, perfect ballot reform, strengthen electoral safe- 

 guards, and establish home rule. Every one of these 

 pledges has been disgracefully disregarded, while 

 the .Republican pledges have been honestly kept, es- 

 pecially those for the repeal of the antihome rule 

 legislation, and a reduction of public expenditures 

 and a diminished tax rate. The legislative appro- 

 priations for the last year were nearly $2,224,000 less 

 than those of the preceding Democratic Legislature, 

 and the tax rate was reduced from 2'58 in 1893 to 2-18 

 in 1894, or nearly 16 per cent. Much more would 

 have been accomplished by the Eepublican Legisla- 

 ture last winter but for the persistent interference of 

 the Executive. 



Subsequently the names of J. Sloat Fassett, 

 Stewart L. Woodford, Daniel Butterfield, Leslie 

 W. Russell, Levi P. Morton, Cornelius Bliss, and 

 William J. Arkell were placed in nomination, 

 and on ballot Levi P. Morton was selected as the 

 candidate for Governor : for Lieutenant-Gov- 

 ernor, Charles T. Saxton was nominated ; and for 

 Judge of the Court of Appeals, Albert Haight 

 was chosen. A new State committee was 

 formed, and the convention adjourned. 



The Democratic State Convention convened in 

 Saratoga Springs on Sept. 25, and was called to 

 order by Edward Murphy, Jr., chairman of the 

 State Committee, who named David B. Hill as 

 temporary chairman. A permanent organiza- 

 tion was effected, and Senator Hill continued 

 in the chair. A platform containing the follow- 

 ing clauses was adopted. With reference 

 national questions it said : 



We rejoice that by the repeal of the Sherman lav 

 for the purchase and storage of silver bullion all fear 

 of a depreciated currency has been allayed, and faith 

 lias been restored in the ability of the Government 

 to maintain a constant parity "between its gold and 

 silver coinage; that by the repeal of the McKinley 

 tariff law the inordinate taxation of the many for the 

 benefit of the few has been notably diminished, and 

 in the place of inequitable and monstrous customs 

 duties, which have starved some industries and over- 

 fed others, the tariff' schedules have been adjusted M 

 that while affording ample safeguards for American 

 labor they reduced the price to the people o necessi- 

 ties of life, and encouraged the promotion of industry 

 by cheapening the cost of many raw materials used in 

 manufacture, and that by reduction in expenditures. 

 wherever possible, and by provision for additional 

 revenues, the legitimate demands upon the Federal 



