54 New York St vte 



game protectors accompanied by a request that the blank should be 

 filled out and returned to the office of the Conservation Commission. 

 From these questionnaires which were submitted without comment 

 on the purpose and indeed without the knowledge of the person 

 replying that any study of the subject was in prospect, we could 

 gather a mass of definite facts both interesting and significant. 

 New York has in the state game protectors a valuable permanent 

 force of men devoting their time to a study of natural conditions. 

 While not technically trained in science, they are accustomed to use 

 their eyes and heads in the observation and interpretation of 

 natural phenomena. They are not likely to be misled by appearances, 

 and they know both how pure streams look and what living things 

 should be found in them. Great weight should be laid on their find- 

 ings as to the condition of streams in the localities with which they 



From the even hundred replies received to the questionnaire, 

 valuable information was obtained as to the amount and distribution 

 of stream pollution in the state, and as to seasonal and other varia- 

 tions that it undergoes. Evidence was also furnished on the damage 

 done to riparian owners as well as to the aquatic life. These replies 

 have been analyzed and are on file so that they can be still further 

 utilized in the work of the Conservation Commission. Consequently 

 it is probably not necessary to discuss them further at this point. 

 Containing as they do specific reports concerning every part of the 

 state and every variety of industrial waste, with numerous definite 

 suggestions in regard to methods of improving conditions, they are 

 in my opinion an invaluable aid to the further study of stream 

 pollution in New York state and to its elimination. 



Personal Observations 



In order to be clear that the observations were reported with 

 reasonable accuracy and that the situation had not been misin- 

 terpreted through possible lack of a proper basis for analyzing the 

 situation, 1 made a personal reconnoissance of several rivers where 

 the concentration of industries or particular kinds of manufacturing 

 had contributed large quantities of waste to the streams on which 

 the establishments were located. In this way I saw the effect pro- 

 duced upon stream waters by wastes from steel plants, from tan- 

 neries in different places, from glue plants, from various sorts of 

 paper mills, including those which use the sulphite pulp process, 

 and others, I had opportunity to note the effects of such trade 



