REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I913 43 



BOARD OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES 



The Legislature of 1913 provided for the institution of a State 

 Board of Geographic Names, in the following law, which is chapter 



187: 



Section 1 Article 10 of chapter 23 of the Laws of 1909, entitled 

 "An act in relation to executive officers, constituting chapter 18 of 

 the Consolidated Laws," is hereby amended by adding, at the end 

 thereof, a new section, to be known as section 110, and to read as 

 follows : 



§ 1 10 Board of geographic names; powers and duties. A 

 State Board of Geographic Names is hereby created, to consist of 

 five members, of which the Commissioner of Education and the 

 State Geologist shall be ex officio members, and three of whom 

 shall be appointed by the Governor to hold for terms of two, four 

 and six years, to be designated by him when the appointments are 

 made. Their successors shall be appointed by the Governor for 

 terms of six years. Vacancies shall be filled by the Governor for the 

 unexpired terms of the offices vacated. The State Geologist shall 

 be the secretary and executive officer of such board. All of such 

 members shall serve without compensation. The said board shall 

 have power, and it shall be its duty: 



1 To determine and establish the correct historical and etymolog- 

 ical form of the place names in this State and to recommend the 

 adoption of such correct forms for public use. 



2 To determine the form and propriety of new place names pro- 

 posed for general use, and no corporation, individual or community 

 shall introduce such new place names without the consent and ap- 

 proval of this board. 



3 To cooperate with the United States Board of Geographic 

 Names and with the United States post office department in estab- 

 lishing a proper, correct and historically accurate form for all place 

 names proposed as designations of new post offices. 



§ 2 This act shall take effect immediately. 



Acting under the authority given him by this law, Governor 

 Sulzer appointed as members for the terms of two, four and six 

 years, Arnold J. F. van Laer, Albany, Hugh P. Baker, Syracuse, 

 Herman Leroy Fairchild, Rochester. This law carried no ap- 

 propriation for the execution of its provisions, for clerical help 

 or even for stationery ; but as the work of the board has an obviously 

 University function, it has seemed entirely proper, for the present, 

 to carry on this work in connection with the other activities of this 

 Department, awaiting the day when the Board of Geographic Names 

 shall very properly become an organic part of the University. 



