600 



that the lumber interest was an interest which was necessarily con- 

 consulted with reference to the proposed park, because it is a large 

 financial interest, not because they are lumbermen. .They haven't any 

 greater or less rights than anyone «lse, but they are people who own 

 $25,000,000 worth of property in the northern forests and their inter- 

 ests must be looked after precisely as the interests of any other set 

 of men and their property must be protected precisely as other men's 

 property is protected. It is caviled at, there is not $25,000,000 

 invested in the lumber business. It was perfectly easy to show the 

 contrary if it had been possible to do so;' all that was necessary 

 was to call any one familiar with tbe subject and show the amount 

 was less. I care not whether it was less or more, the fact is 

 that the lumber interest is an important factor in northern New York, 

 and the interests of the lumbermen must be consulted with reference 

 to legislation as to northern New York, just as you would consult 

 the interest of the farmer if you were dealing with central New York, 

 or the interest of the man who works upon the canal if you were 

 legislating in regard to the Erie canal, or the merchant if you were 

 legislating with regard to the tariff, and there is no use of under- 

 taking to brush aside a matter of that sort with a snear because 

 a man is a lumberman. Of course they destroy the forests, but they 

 employ 30,000 men, representing 100,000 souls, and they work upon 

 their own property. If the State wants it- they will have to buy 

 and pay for it. *We might as well recognize that fact precisely the 

 same as it would have to buy anybody else's property. Now, is it 

 the part of wisdom on the part of this commission, as it is the part of 

 wisdom on the part of the Legislature, or on the part of anybody 

 to antagonize that interest, if by making an arrangement with refer- 

 ence to the soft woods, the interests of the State can be subserved 

 and the interests of the lumbermen protected. Is there any objection 

 to it ? Should they not have precisely the same rights as every other 

 citizen in regard to that? lam not insisting a lumberman has any 

 right beyond what every citizen has; I am looking at it from the 

 standpoint of the State as to what is the part of wisdom, and I insist 

 that these men were right when they said that the interest of 'the 

 lumbermen must be taken into consideration in arranging for the 

 Adirondack park, and that they were right about it has been absolutely 

 demonstrated by the addresses which were made before the joint Com- 

 mittee of the Senate and Assembly, by the Hon. Warner Miller and his 

 associates bearing upon that question, in which they took precisely 

 the ground that this commission has taken in its repr>rfr, grounds 

 which were at the outset scouted with regard to soft woods the 



