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  ttEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Conceding 
  that 
  its 
  field 
  is 
  wisely 
  restricted 
  to 
  the 
  boundaries 
  of 
  

   the 
  State.- 
  the 
  State 
  Museum 
  should 
  certainly 
  have 
  just 
  as 
  gen- 
  

   erous 
  and 
  substantial 
  aid 
  as 
  is 
  so 
  freely 
  given 
  today 
  to 
  the 
  

   private 
  museum 
  by 
  the 
  private 
  patron. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  enough 
  for 
  

   New 
  York 
  merely 
  to 
  recognize 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  State 
  Museum 
  

   exists 
  simply 
  because 
  other 
  states 
  have 
  created 
  and 
  recognize 
  

   their 
  museums. 
  Nothing 
  is 
  enough 
  for 
  the 
  proper 
  pride 
  of 
  the 
  

   State 
  and 
  its 
  citizens 
  except 
  that 
  this 
  Museum 
  shall 
  be 
  of 
  the 
  

   best 
  and 
  an 
  effective 
  arm 
  of 
  the 
  educational 
  service. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  

   enough 
  that 
  the 
  State 
  Museum, 
  shall 
  attempt 
  to 
  exercise 
  its 
  

   proper 
  function 
  with 
  only 
  the 
  materials 
  which 
  may 
  properly 
  be 
  

   designated 
  as 
  the 
  accessories 
  of 
  its 
  scientific 
  researches. 
  Nothing 
  

   less 
  than 
  the 
  best 
  the 
  State 
  has 
  is 
  good 
  enough 
  for 
  its 
  people, 
  

   and 
  to 
  permit 
  this 
  Museum 
  to 
  impart 
  its 
  instruction 
  with 
  less 
  

   than 
  the 
  best, 
  is 
  to 
  affront 
  the 
  people. 
  The 
  Museum 
  of 
  the 
  

   people 
  of 
  this 
  State 
  should 
  be 
  of 
  such 
  quality 
  as 
  will 
  bring 
  credit 
  

   to 
  a 
  State 
  which 
  has 
  established 
  a 
  pioneer 
  record 
  for 
  effective 
  

   scientific 
  research. 
  

  

  An 
  illustration 
  here 
  is 
  in 
  point 
  and 
  immediate. 
  The 
  repor- 
  

   trayal 
  of 
  the 
  life 
  and 
  culture 
  of 
  our 
  aborigines, 
  the 
  Iroquois 
  

   Confederacy, 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  living 
  functions 
  of 
  the 
  Museum. 
  In 
  

   the 
  Capitol 
  fire 
  a 
  large 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  historic 
  Indian 
  collections 
  

   were 
  destroyed, 
  some 
  ten 
  thousand 
  specimens. 
  The 
  loss 
  must 
  

   be 
  made 
  good, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  do 
  it. 
  Time 
  quickly 
  

   wipes 
  out 
  records 
  of 
  the 
  past. 
  The 
  Indian 
  relics 
  which 
  were 
  so 
  

   common 
  and 
  perhaps 
  so 
  little 
  valued 
  in 
  our 
  boyhood 
  are 
  becom- 
  

   ing 
  scarce. 
  The 
  Iroquois 
  Confederacy 
  belonged 
  to 
  the 
  State 
  ot 
  

   New 
  York 
  and 
  is 
  a 
  momentous 
  factor 
  in 
  its 
  history; 
  it 
  stood 
  between 
  

   the 
  French 
  and 
  English 
  cultures 
  on 
  this 
  continent 
  and 
  kept 
  the 
  

   United 
  States 
  and 
  Canada 
  from 
  becoming 
  colonies 
  of 
  France. 
  

   Every 
  relic 
  of 
  this 
  ancient 
  culture 
  now 
  left 
  among 
  the 
  citizens 
  

   or 
  in 
  the 
  soil 
  should 
  become 
  the 
  property 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  and 
  that 
  

   too 
  as 
  quickly 
  as 
  possible. 
  These 
  relics 
  are 
  records 
  as 
  valuable 
  

   as 
  books, 
  and 
  the 
  generations 
  to 
  follow 
  us 
  will 
  justly 
  pass 
  con- 
  

   demnation 
  if 
  we 
  allow 
  them 
  to 
  pass 
  into 
  obscurity 
  and 
  f 
  orgetfulness. 
  

  

  Moreover 
  the 
  State 
  Museum 
  should 
  be 
  recognized 
  as 
  the 
  

   State's 
  single 
  and 
  proper 
  depository 
  of 
  scientific 
  natural 
  objects. 
  

   The 
  people 
  should 
  understand 
  that 
  here 
  is 
  where 
  they 
  may 
  

   come 
  for 
  all 
  information 
  upon 
  the 
  natural 
  products 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  

   It 
  is 
  bootless 
  and 
  confusing 
  for 
  the 
  State 
  to 
  maintain 
  a 
  collec- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  scientific 
  objects 
  in 
  Letchworth 
  Park 
  on 
  the 
  Genesee 
  

  

  