﻿Forest, 
  Fish 
  and 
  Game 
  Commission 
  31 
  

  

  must 
  realize 
  that 
  they 
  have 
  responsibilities. 
  They 
  must 
  feel 
  this 
  

   responsibility 
  and 
  be 
  far 
  more 
  careful 
  and 
  exercise" 
  better 
  judg- 
  

   ment 
  in 
  starting 
  fires; 
  and 
  above 
  all, 
  see 
  that 
  fires 
  are 
  absolutely 
  

   extinguished 
  before 
  leaving 
  them. 
  The 
  two 
  largest 
  areas 
  burned 
  

   over 
  this 
  year 
  were 
  due 
  to 
  these 
  causes 
  and 
  were 
  truly 
  avoidable 
  

   simply 
  by 
  exercising 
  reasonable 
  care. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  there 
  is 
  some 
  criticism 
  in 
  various 
  parts 
  of 
  

   our 
  forest 
  sections 
  because 
  people 
  are 
  not 
  allowed 
  the 
  free 
  and 
  

   full 
  use 
  of 
  wild 
  lands 
  for 
  hunting 
  and 
  fishing. 
  In 
  many 
  cases 
  the 
  

   land 
  owners 
  do 
  not 
  care 
  anything 
  about 
  the 
  game 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  

   afraid 
  of 
  fires 
  and 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  protect 
  their 
  property 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  

   to 
  prohibit 
  persons 
  going 
  upon 
  it. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  year 
  several 
  actions 
  have 
  been 
  commenced, 
  convic- 
  

   tions 
  secured 
  and 
  fines 
  enforced 
  for 
  setting 
  fires 
  to 
  clear 
  land 
  with- 
  

   out 
  permits 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  prohibited 
  season. 
  In 
  addition 
  one 
  

   conviction 
  was 
  secured 
  in 
  case 
  of 
  setting 
  fires 
  to 
  wild 
  land 
  in 
  the 
  

   Shawangunk 
  Mountains 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  blueberry 
  crop. 
  

   This 
  is 
  the 
  first 
  conviction 
  of 
  this 
  kind 
  ever 
  secured 
  in 
  Ulster 
  

   county 
  and 
  was 
  extremely 
  difficult 
  because 
  the 
  accused 
  was 
  a 
  

   veteran 
  of 
  the 
  Civil 
  War. 
  

  

  Railroads 
  and 
  Fires 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  year 
  a 
  decided 
  effort 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  to 
  have 
  the 
  rail- 
  

   roads 
  comply 
  with 
  the 
  law 
  relative 
  to 
  the 
  clearing 
  of 
  their 
  rights 
  

   of 
  way 
  through 
  forest 
  land 
  in 
  the 
  sixteen 
  forest 
  preserve 
  counties. 
  

   In 
  order 
  to 
  secure 
  a 
  better 
  understanding 
  and 
  discuss 
  fully 
  all 
  

   matters 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  forest 
  fires, 
  in 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  Adirondack 
  rail- 
  

   roads 
  are 
  concerned, 
  a 
  conference 
  was 
  held 
  at 
  Saranac 
  Lake, 
  Au- 
  

   gust 
  29th. 
  The 
  following 
  representatives 
  of 
  the 
  railroads 
  were 
  

   present 
  : 
  

  

  N. 
  Y. 
  C. 
  & 
  H. 
  R. 
  R. 
  R. 
  : 
  

  

  Hon. 
  M. 
  E. 
  McCleary 
  Attorney, 
  

  

  G. 
  N. 
  Edmondson 
  Asst. 
  Engineer, 
  

  

  Joseph 
  Welch 
  Supt. 
  of 
  Tracks, 
  M. 
  & 
  M. 
  Div. 
  

  

  F. 
  L. 
  Vault 
  Supt. 
  of 
  Tracks, 
  M. 
  & 
  M. 
  Div. 
  

  

  M. 
  Keefee 
  Supt. 
  of 
  Tracks, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  & 
  O. 
  Div. 
  

  

  