Jan, 19, 1893.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



53 



NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION. 



I>' spite of the a.(b"ers? '"i-eather 'Taiditions which pre- 

 ■viilf^ii in tw k II iiiiuil L it di It^^-iti a;atheiefl 



HI i-xrnsp Thit ] ^^ i nm fi i t1^e^^l^t i (omeiitioii 

 1 f tl ^ ^^ \ y 1 I -il t i j( 1 III »u i 1 1 ) Pi t ( ti n of 

 ^ish 111(1 Giijir^ U \ I ti Ui I ]n tin, of Hit Vs ocn 

 lion since the re-orqauization. ami in the number present, 

 thp lb tuitiil ( Ini i( I 1 t th is mblige ind ih iniii 

 wliicli pervaded it. tne eonventi.in was all that L'ould 

 hfLTt? been aiitjeipriti^ d. Tlip. i ir()ei--edine,s were mai'ked bv 

 I no tins iiflinsiiMii Iniiiiin in1 Ih^tmi iiid „uod 

 sojHe. I h<'v ilnnionstratwl n.new. what was so abund- 

 ;intlv made inanite.st at the >,<iveniber committee ineeluT^-. 

 t nt tl \s ( 1 1 UK 11 h IS th( u idi d supjpurtot thos }t ph 

 ot tlie St;i.Tf'. who are suinoreh' .mterf.stod in i>roserviue- 

 the era mo and hsh supp] y. t]ie ora'aniza.tioii is nh'cadv 

 111 oh < ( thh htd md tho hnes -ii piittiLil uinit\ hid 

 »ui 1 II i( 1(1 I I il I 1 iiupli piomi'sC tluil tlic 

 Assoeiation will ill the tnture merit and receive a con- 

 staiitl'T tiTowinc;- putdie sniiport. 



The coiiveiititni met m tlie ample assembly room ot the 

 new and handsome "\ atfts. who^o proprietors. Messrs. 

 Averill Mild (xrc-'coi'v. (hd inuo)i to add to tlie convenience 

 and comtort ot tho.ie in attendance. 



The tollovvimj,- ehihs wmc represented by delegates: 



Auburn Gvx Cr.uB.— elias. A. Bannisror. Ueo. Peck. Geo. W. Nellis. 

 Obntbai. New \ork I i-ai and C^ame Association.— W. S. Q»yitt, 



ITeury C. Ltarr. Di\ Sejuiaii. Fi\-d LUnis. W. H. Wilson. 



lrT..KN HaVBN GaJII.; AMJ IISH P H,<.)TE0T1-VT5 ASSOCIATION.— E. D. 



< n-l I I .1 J) i lU a < I I Uui 



Lyons I'ish .w<d (.tAme Phi itec tp, i-: A.s.sooiation.— Burton Hani- 

 morid. Peter Kaoblach. Pr. .1. \V. Putnam. \V. S. Gavitt. H. O. Hotcli- 

 ki.ss. ,ir. 



bY'BAOusE Indoob, huooTiN'B ChVB. — 0. H. Movvrj', W. A. Koehler, G. 

 \V ellK >sefirin£,'. W . E. Uluinijr. Uan. A. I'lerce. 

 HYii.Aci KE IUfle Vamb.~.J. N, Kiuipji. (.'. H. Lewis, H. S. Seely, R. 



-I 'i'.riidiii. A. A. stillmau- 

 ihiiur Dr.LCH iii i tsa and (iAME Ci.ttb f JtoHriiii'valie').— Dr. M. R. Smitli,' 



• I,,.. :M';i.;u.i.ii 



bL ^ f I 1 i Fis I \ r ir ] r ir TT r lssoci\iioN.—W. E. Wei- 

 ll 01 \ xnlti ! s K iiHi 1 ( I li-isseU biou H. Kent. 

 (jKrixDATxA e:oiTXTY t-,poTiT>MEN s LXUB.— B. E. E.obbins, 31. Weidnian, 

 L V lit 1 V 1 11 11 \-\\ 



\ 1 LID (L-iekport) — W W Treavaii, F. K. 



I 



.;i:-pii:lSi 



>.—Gr.anville. Hills. 



r,B. -11. D. 3Ic\' ean. 



Uaui, D. H. Bruce, 



. i.. \; onf\. V\ dlctf «. MacGregor. 



. Paptis Tliomas, John Soft, 



(HI 1 1 r r £ _Lj_ 



. La^ RESCUE River. — Geo. H. Strough. 

 j.v OF A EW i oBK. — Prank J, Ams- 



Hlweijve j alls Aitolerh' Association. — Aaron Mather. 



.jEEPEKi-.u:: (iOUKIY PiSlllNB ASBOCIAITON. TyleC. 



oe;-- bi.'wy L ishins (. lue.— J, h. \ an Cleef CPougiilceepsie^ 



s\i 1 I ( (1 I 11 lUloii. \V C lIoDlvWJv, H. M. Chase, 



(xeo, H. Mann. C. L. Byeker. 

 Associate Members.— (#ea. I>. H. Bruce. 



Anions' others present were Chief Game and Fish Pro- 

 t jctor Pond, and Protectors Hawm and Cotton, and 

 •Special Protector Jaclvson. 



President L lEivli's li. lievnolds. of New York, was in the 

 ( li 01 '^'(.1 iii\ Jii m B Sa^o, of Bidialo 



1 .le djeleeates had Ijeen asked to brmg reports of the 

 \\ ui'K oi Hicir own chibs. and the mormncj; and afternoon 

 - 111- will, Lu^lIv taken up ^^ltll i( Litious of pro- 

 tectiY e effort and accomplishment in the several localities 

 represented. Otir full report of this feature of the con- 

 vention, however, must be deferred until next week. By 

 far the most important subject to which attention was 

 given was the action of tiie Association respecting the 

 [ireseut law. At tlie ('oiiimittee meeting in November a 

 Committee on Legislation had been provided to take into 

 consideration proposed amendments of the fish and game 

 la w, and to report on them to the convention. . 



Game Law Amendments. 



Numerous amendments of the game and fish laws had 

 been submitted to the Committee on Legislation. Pending 

 the report of the committee, a discussion was had as to 

 whether the Association should recommend any changes 

 whatever to the Legislature, or should urge for the present 

 tlie retention of the law as it is. 



Chief Protector Pokd said: There are a few minor 

 changes in particular localities tliat would help very much. 

 I would not favor any radical changes. The law has only 

 been in force since tlie 5th of May last, and we ha,ve 

 liardly got to understanding its workings. Whde you 

 are anxious for a few- changes in different locaUti&s, 

 make as few as possible, because you will find an element 

 at the Capitol which ^^-ill figiit against it. The thing to do 

 is to head them off. I am avva,re from what I have heard 

 that there will be quite an effort to have several changes 

 that this organization would not favor. If you go tliere 

 with many amendments you are gomg to get considerable 

 trouble from the opposition element. , 



Mr. Hills — ^Wouldn't it be proi:)er for us to prepare our- 

 selves to meet this movement? What will we do to fisrht 

 this? 



Mr. Amsden— My thoughts have been on this for a long 

 time before coming down here. There will be consider- 

 aJile effort made by interested parties for seMsh purposes 

 to get this law amended. We have made a good many 

 amendments which we would like to have made this 

 Tvinter, liut would not it be better to waive them rather 

 than take the chances? Mr. HUls asks how we are going 

 to meet this move rne lit. The law ha.'; only had a "short 

 life and has not had lime enough to demonstrate what it 

 is. This organization should recommend to the Legisla- 

 ture that no changes be made at all tliis winter. Let it 

 rest just as it is. ft is good law m its general provisions. 

 Ask the Legislature to appoint a committee to sit during 

 this and the next session together with a commission and 

 a committee from this body and consider what amend- 

 ments and changes are beneficial. I think if we take such 

 action as that, it will put us in a very good light with the 

 Legislatiu'e. We have no selfish purposes. We want to 

 do what is right. This is a most important matter, and 

 what action we take will have a far-reaching effect. 

 While the law is defective in a great many respects, there 

 is a way for us to cover up those defects in a measure, as 

 has been done in Wayne county, by getting the super- 

 visors to take action. 



W. E. HooKWAY— It has been intimated to me hy 

 people who have shot for the market and dealers in game 

 that this wmter tliey will try to have the sliipping of game 

 allowed. The working of the non-export law has been of 

 the greatest benefit to the State of New York. 



W. S, G-AViTT— We have met with very serious obstacles 

 at Sodus Bay, and in trying to find some means to protect 

 oitrselves we have taken advantage of the provision that 

 allows supeiwisors to make provision granting fuller pro- 



tection in localities. In Cavuga countv we were defeated, 

 but the beneca countv board looked more favorably on 

 our resoLutum and iiassen a, resolution proliibiting spring 

 shooting. In Wavno countv we introduced several reso- 

 hitious OIK in I i to putiid^c shooting, which was 

 ^1 ml d In \\ ivi]( (oniit^ w i mtioibietd a resolution 

 pioi ( till-, u ood( o( k until S( pt 1 which prevailed. We 

 liaY-f no spriiic:; duck shooting m Wayne county. Thus far 

 we liave been instrumental m getting some of the pro- 

 \ isions we asked tor. All tlimes considered, I agree with 

 Mr. Amsden to lea.Are the btate la.w as it is. In securing 

 local legislation, it must be borne m mind by local clubs 

 tl it ( u 1 11 il N i^il im i must liL tlu a mol to always. 



Ml,'. hcmaii'iiiiioitN — I have* liad a httio experience Avith 

 siioci visors. 1 thiidc mv countv was the first in the State 

 to stop the selling ot biixls. Five or six years ago I got up 

 a, law stopping the selling of birds m Cortland county. 

 \s 1 nndcist nd It tli(,\ m o))li_( 1 to lik their law with 

 tiie countv clerk m so manv davs after^vard. They 

 U(.^licUd to do i1 1 wcntbclou tlu m the next year. 

 Ihistmu ihi\ hli(l It ill n^ht bu* I lound tha,t they had 

 amended the btate laws. Nine tunes out of ten the laws 

 supu \ isois p IS-. u( \NoitliUss r lluu w isiit to Albany 

 with Mr. .Kellogg ol: our town, and got a law thei'e pro- 

 hibiting the sale of game. 



GrEN. D, H. Bruce — In view ot what has already been 

 said on this question this inference may be drawn: the 

 Legislature of this State can hardly be made to infuse life 

 into clubs organized for the protection of fish and game 

 that have no life to begin with. That which is done in 

 the county can only be done by live organizations. I ap- 

 prehend that most of the live organizations of the State 

 are ref)resented here to- day. Now if any effort were to 

 be made in the way of procuring amenrlments to the State 

 game law, they must be of general application throughout 

 the State. As has been already obseiwed, the law in 

 its main particulars is fairly satisfactory, although not all 

 we can desire. There are amendments which we could 

 suggest manj- of us, but which it must be most difficult to 

 obtain. 



Generally speaking the boards of supervisors of different 

 counties have the power to pass ordinances to accomplish 

 that which should be desired. Is it not a fact that it 

 would be better to depend temporarily at least on the 

 boards of supervisors to do that which we might ask the 

 Lsgislature to do? If it should be said that the boards of 

 supervisors are reluctant to complj'- Avith requests that a 

 ligal organization makes, it seems to me that that local 

 organization lacks life enough to make its power felt in 

 the board. 



It was not many years ago, here in the county of Onon- 

 daga, Avhere we have many public waters well filled with 

 fish and not a little game, that the matter of protection 

 was somewhat unpopular, but resolute men and resolute 

 clubs determined that there should be protection. Reso- 

 lute men, fearing not the pirates who would rob us of our 

 rights, have worked together and brought about a con- 

 dition here that is a, reform, at the same time putting 

 their work before the pubKc until the people of this sec- 

 tion have become well educated to the necessity which 

 exists for the protection of fish and game. As illustrative 

 of tins Mr. Mowery has told you of the action of 

 the board of supervisors. The Anglers' Club asked for 

 an appropriation of .$500 to be placed under the dis- 

 cretionary charge of the District Attorney. The board 

 has tmanimously passed that resolution. It shows the 

 effect of earnest Avork. It shows the effect of educating 

 the people. 



This matter of taking care of the public waters is a 

 public question. The fish in the public waters and the 

 game belong to the people. They clon't belong to the fcAv. 

 it is as mucli the business of the boards of supervisors, of 

 the District Attorney, of officers of the law generally, to 

 protect the fish and game of their locaHty as it is to en- 

 force any ot her law. You have only to bring this to the 

 attention of the supervisors. 



Properly organize ui every county at least one live club 

 to brmg about the result so much desired throughout the 

 State. It is not all in the passage of laws by the Legis- 

 lature. It is in creating a public sentiment which shall 

 not only demand those laws, but support them after they 

 have been passed. If Ave build ourselves up properly the 

 time Avill soon come Avhen our committee can go to 

 Albany and there demand of the Legislature that which 

 is of benefit to tlie people and the Avhole people and we 

 shall be heard. We need thorough organization through- 

 out the Sta,te. We need men in every county of the class 

 and character of the men who are here to-day. And 

 when our organization shall have been carried into every 

 county then avLU our association become strong, and then 

 AviLl the jirotectiA'e laws of this State be ample and 

 sufficient. 



We need, at the same time, to create public sentiment 

 in the direction of the support of the fish and game pro- 

 tectors. It may be said that a better corps of protectors 

 could not be selected. We all have faith in them, from 

 the chief down (making one, and only one, exception). I 

 speak unqualifiedly of the abfiity of the game protectors. 

 They have to take care of sixty or more counties, and it 

 is too much of a tax on each protector. We need more 

 of them. We need to broaden our power, we need to 

 broaden our protective force, as well as to broaden pro- 

 tective legislation. Our protectors have not the support 

 that in right and justice they ought to have. They are 

 doing all it is possible for them to do, but it is utterly 

 impossible for twenty men to enforce the laAv throughout 

 this State as it should be enforced. It is only a surprise 

 to me that they accomplish as much as they do. 



On this question of going to the Legislatm-e and asking 

 amendment I, for my part, am decidedly in favor of 

 keeping the laAv as it now stands, demanding that there 

 be no amendment that shall reduce its efficiency. It is a 

 doubtful expediency, in my mind, to go to the Legisla- 

 ture asking any important changes in that act. Those 

 changes Av-hich to many of us seem necessary, most of 

 them the boards of supervisoi-s have the power to make 

 as temporary laAvs. It should be left to the boards to 

 take care of them. In fact, I woiUd propose no radical 

 amendment until the present laAv has been tried to see 

 what are the faults as well as its good points. (Applause.) 



HEmv C. Carr. suggested that the matter of amend- 

 ments be left to the executive committee. Things might 

 take a different turn. He himself did not think it was 

 going to be a difficult thing to get legislation. 



3Ir. Crosby believed in keeping what they had. In 

 Cortland county they were goiag to ask for some legisla- 

 tion, and he believed they were going to^get it. 



Mr. Peck — Mr. Carr handed me a bill for our super- 

 visors a short time ago, curtailing spring duck shooting. 

 Although the supervisors are good in eA^ery other respect, 

 still, in this one respect, the matter of game protection, 

 they don't seem to be as thoroughly educated as they 

 might be. They rejected the bill three to one on the 

 mistaken ground that it Avas properly a State measure. 



Mr. Moavry — ^We have an idea that our game laws are 

 all right as they stand to-day for the protectors of the 

 State to Avork under. I think there is a general feeling 

 that the game laws had better be left practically as they 

 are, so far as the protective interests are concerned. Our 

 protectors are at Avork under them and secure convictions 

 readily. There are some minor changes in which we are 

 interested that Avill probably be brought before the meet- 

 ting through the chairman of the amendment committee. 



Report of the Committee on Legrislatlon. 

 There was developed a Avell defined feeling that the 

 wiser course for the Association to pursue this yea,r Avould 

 be to refrain from recommending any amendments what- 

 ever, but on the contrary to defend the statute so far as 

 might ijrove practicable against the assaults sure to be 

 made upon it in Albany. When the committee reported, 

 througli Mr. Van Cleef , recommending that all amend- 

 ments be held over for another year, tlieir report was 

 adopted Avithout further debate, as follows: 



To the Associatian: 



Your committee on legislation having carefully considered the situ- 

 ation and having hatened to the expressions of opinion here to-day 

 report as follows: 



We would recommend that no amendments of the fish and game 

 laws be submitted at Albany this year from this Association. 



We would recommend the adoption of these resolutions as ex- 

 pressive of the sentiment of this convention: 



" Whereas, The present flsh and game laws, enacted after two years 

 of careful deliberation, has met with general approval: and 



"Whereas, The period of one year is too short a time witliiu which 

 to test its merits fully, although we appreciate the fact that it is de- 

 fective i" some particulars, 



^'Resolved, That it is the sense of this organization that all changes 

 in the present law sho'dd be deferred until another year. 



'^Resolved, That the Legislature be and hereby is requested to ap 

 point from its own members a commission to revise the pi'esent law , 

 with direction to report at the next session of the Legislature ; that 

 such commission be authorized to sit at any time during the present 

 year; and that it be requested to confer with the Commissioner.? of 

 Fisheries for their ddvice in preparing such revision. 



■'Resolved, That the Legislature be and hereby is requested to refer 

 to such commission all amendments proposed at the present session." 

 Respectfully submitted, 



AV ALTER S. MacGregor, Syracusc, Chairman, 



J. S. VAX Cleef, Poughkeepsie, 



AV. S. Gavitt. Lyons, 



G. M. Skinner, Cla3'ton (not present). 



Finances. 



Secretary-Treasurer Sage reported $144 on hand. Of 

 this amount |60 had been contributed in response to the 

 appeal of the Ways and Means Committee, by Mr. F. J. 

 Amsden ($25), Mr. W. S. Kimball (f 25) and Mr. W. C. 

 Brownhag ($10). The purpose of these contributions had 

 been to establish a fund for use in securing promotion of the 

 game protective purposes of the Association. On motion 

 of Mr. Van Cleef, it v^^as determined to invite the clubs of 

 the State to contribute to the fund : 



Resolved, That the secretary of the Association request from the 

 several clubs of this State voluntarj^ contributions to be used as a 

 special fund for the purjiose of meeting such neces.sary expenses as 

 may be incurred in securing that legislation which may in the judg- 

 ment of the Executive Committee be necessary for the protection of 

 flsh and game. 



Annual Dues. 



The amendment reported from the executive committee, 

 respecting aimual dues, Avas adopted, and a further pro- 

 vision, suggested by Mr. Van Cleef, was added, emjpower- 

 ing the executive committee to remit dues in special cases. 

 The article noAv reads: 



ARTICLE Vm.— Dues. 



Seo. 1. Clubs.— (a) The annual dues to the Association from each 

 club to entitle it to representation in the aimual winter and quarterly 

 meetings shall be five dollars, payable on or before the second Thui's- 

 day in January, Avhlch shall be the begimimg of the fiscal year. (6) 

 The dues from each club to entitle it to participation in the summer 

 meeting shall be one dollar, payable on or before the date of the first 

 day of such meeting, (e) The executive committee shaU have the 

 power to remit in its disci-etion the said dues in whole or in part for 

 any year. 



The Committee on Forestry presented a very compre- 

 hensive and intelligently prepared report on the subject 

 of forestry. It Avas submitted by Gen. Bruce, AA^ho ex- 

 plained that it had been prepared chiefly bv Mr. Wolcott. 

 The full text follows. 



On motion of D. J. V. Haberer, of Utica, it was voted 

 to invite forestry organizations to ally themselves with 

 tins State Association: 



Resolved, That the Association extends an invitation to all scientific 

 organizations in the State interested in forest protection to join this 

 body. 



Reimbursement of Came Protectors- 

 Gen. Bruce called attention to the fact that certain of 

 the game protectors had in the past expended their per- 

 sonal funds and incurred personal liabilities in the dis- 

 charge of their duty beyond the provision made for such 

 expenditures, and as the men could not bear these losses 

 Avithout hardsliip, he suggested that the State shordd repay 

 to them the funds thus spent in its service. Chief Pond 

 estimated that the total amount Avas under $2,000. On 

 motion of Gen. Bruce it was declared to be the sense of 

 the Association that the Legislature should be requested to 

 ascertain the amounts that may be due the game pro- 

 tectors beyond the. provision for such expenditures, and 

 that a bill should be passed reimbursing them for the 

 money which shall be found equitably aJid justly to be 

 due. 



Other Business. 



The secretary read a communication respecting a pro- 

 jected national sportsmen's convention in Chicago. This 

 Avas referred to the executive committee, where it was 

 laid on the table. 



On motion of Mr. Hookway the secretary was in- 

 structed to keep the members of the Association adAdsed 

 regarding the introduction of biUs into the Legislature. 



A committee on nominations, consisting of Messrs. 

 Mowry, Gavitt and Van Cleef, submitted the names of 

 Mr. Charles B. Reynolds, of New Y'ork, for President, 

 and Gen. D. H, Bruce, of Syracuse, for Vice-President, 

 and they were elected. Mr. John B. Sage, of Buffalo, 

 Avas elected by the Executive Committee Secretary-Treas- 

 urei-, 



:-yracuse Avas chosen as the place for the next annual 

 convention, Jan. 11, 1894. 



Following the convention a meeting of the ExecutiTe 

 Committee was held,in which a plan for presenting to the 

 Legislature the views of the Association was disc\i^ed, 



