150 



Q. Do you know what the elevation is on the west blue line? 



A. No, sir. 



Q. The policy of the State in obtaining and desiring to increase 

 this preserve is to protect and save th& water, is it not, the flow of 

 water from that region ? 



A. I so stated. 



Q. And to save as much as possible, the flow of water, make it as 

 extensive ? 



A. The main policy of the State, the first object is the preservation 

 of the watersheds of the Hudson ; there is no question about that. 



Q. Watershed of the Black river, Moose river and Beaver river is 

 of no consequence ? 



A. Not as much consequence as the Hudson. 



Q. Your idea was to take care of the Hudson and let the rest go ? 



A. No, sir; that wasn't my idea at all; I stated we endeavored to 

 take in the head waters of all the streams, which we did practically 

 in this line. 



Q. That is, the very sources ? 



A. The head waters and the best lakes upon all the streams. 



Q. With this policy of the State, why should not a park to protect 

 the water and to protect the forest for the public health, why should 

 not it cover the entire Adirondack region; what objection is there to 

 that? 



A. I don't see any objection to it. 



Q. Then why didn't you recommend lines that would take in the 

 whole region as Mr. Cox did ? 



A. We were asked to recommend such lines as we deemed for the 

 best interest of the State, and in arriving at that conclusion we also 

 thought it best to think something as to ways and means; in my opinion 

 a park" taking in all of the Adirondacks would have defeated a report, 

 would have defeated the object of the park; by recommending a large 

 area and in consequence an immense expendit ure of money, we would 

 have defeated the object for which we were all striving, a park. 



By Chairman Ryam: 



Q. You would have preferred a larger area than you recommended; 

 you alone? 



A. No, I wouldn't have preferred a larger area than we recom- 

 mended; the counsel asked me whether it would not have been as 

 well for the State to have had it all; I said I could see no objection to 

 that, but a question that we were also asked to report with regard to 

 ways and means; the question arose naturally to us to what extent do 

 the people of the State of New York wish to tax themselves for the 



