New York League Meeting. 
One of the most important meetings held in 
years by the New York State League for the 
Protection of Forest, Fish and Game took place 
at Syracuse Dec. 6. A large number, of incor¬ 
porated clubs were represented and many indi¬ 
vidual sportsmen were present. The feature 
of the session was a discussion of the best 
methods for the protection of native birds, which 
followed the report of the Committee on Legis¬ 
lation given by Mr. C. H. Mowry, the chair¬ 
man, and in which Senator J. P. Allds took a 
prominent part. The report, of the Legislative 
Committee severely arraigned the committee of 
which Senator Allds is chairman for failing to 
report certain bills favored by the League. 
Senator Allds was invited to explain the situ¬ 
ation and enlighten the League as to the reason 
for the action of his committee. He said that 
he was glad to appear before such a representa¬ 
tive body of sportsmen, and that he believed 
much good would result from an open discussion 
of the matter of game protection at this time. 
In his opinion cold storage was an aid to the 
•protection of State birds. He said that he 
strongly favored protective legislation himself, 
but that there should be a reasonable comity 
with other States, and that the demands of New 
York city must also be considered. New York, 
he stated, contains a large element that de¬ 
mands game at all seasons, and is willing to 
pay the price asked for birds illegally procured 
if it must. He said the bill shutting off part of 
December was not reported because the Legis¬ 
lature believed such action would not be fair, 
unless the bonding bill was modified. Those in 
favor of game protection are met by the fact 
that wealthy men will always pay the price for 
their fancies, and that merchants loving money 
will lend themselves to provide what such people 
want. It is impossible to prevent violations as 
the law now stands. What we should have is a 
law so drafted that the source of supply from 
outside the United States shall be carefjlly 
guarded, and he believed that such a law can 
be enacted and enforced. This he held would 
make it impossible for pot hunters to do busi¬ 
ness. He urged the sportsmen not to be swayed 
by sentiment, but to deal with the situation as 
a practical question, open up a legitimate source 
of supply and make it impossible for the pot 
hunter to find a market, because it would be un¬ 
necessary for the merchant to call on him. 
Senator Allds reviewed his own record in 
favor of game protection for the past eight 
years, and said he would be very glad to work 
with the League in its efforts to protect our 
State birds. He thought a foreign source of sup¬ 
ply could be safely provided, and that legislation 
satisfactory to everybody could be had during 
the coming session. In conclusion he stated 
that it was because the Senate Committee wanted 
just such a discussion as was now taking place 
in the presence- of the League that certain of 
the bills proposed by the sportsmen last winter 
had been held in abeyance. 
Chairman Mowry, in concluding, his report, 
asserted that the proposition to admit foreign 
birds all the time was nothing more or less than 
a cloak for cold storage crookedness under 
which game dealers hope to get State birds 
from pot hunters as they have been doing. 
Hon. James S. Whipple, Forest, Fish and 
Game Commissioner, said he believed the sub¬ 
ject has been thoroughly threshed out. He be¬ 
lieved that such discussions are for the besi 
interests of all concerned. There are many 
things in the game law which experience has 
shown ought to be changed. In his judgment 
the best way. to do this is to take up some 
few things each year and get them done, rather 
than to try to get everything done at once. Fie 
paid a high compliment to Chief Protector John 
B. Burnham, with whose aid he said he was 
taking up the situation in one county at a time 
and getting matters in good shape as he went 
along. He asserted that great progress had 
been made during the past year, and that this 
has been the main feature of his work as Com¬ 
missioner. This improvement is especially true 
of the work in connection with the forests of 
the State. Probably ninety-nine per cent, of the 
letters received in his office refer to hunting and 
fishing. But in his judgment the preservation 
of the forests is the main thing to be con¬ 
sidered. Unless the forests are preserved, 
streams will dry up and there will be no covers 
for game. Destroy the great Adirondack region 
and you destroy the great spring system where 
the water is taken up and held for the benefit 
of the State at large. For this reason he be¬ 
lieved the people ought to do their utmost* to 
create a much larger forest preserve and get so 
strong a sentiment aroused in favor of it that 
no man would dare tp' do the forests an injury. 
He recited the great difficulties which now 
exist in securing additional lands, and mentioned 
the recent purchase of Township 34 as one of the 
most important made in recent years. This pur¬ 
chase gives the State a solid tract of one hundred 
and forty thousand acres in that section, and al¬ 
though the cost was $6.50 per acre, it was by 
no means exorbitant, because the tract is fairly 
covered with hardwood timber atid with a fine 
second growth of soft wood. He believed tilt 
land worth fully $9.70 an acre for lumbering 
purposes alone. He said that larger appropria- 
tiofis are needed in order to secure desirable 
tracts of land, and that the people ought to 
see to it that the Legislature makes such ap¬ 
propriations. Even if it does cost three or four 
millions of dollars to get the land needed, he 
believed that the purchases • should be made 
without delay. Hardwood timber is rapidly get¬ 
ting more valuable and the lumbermen have 
their eyes on the Adirondack forest for this 
source of supply, which is one of the reasons 
why it is now so hard tQ purchase the land. 
When we consider that 1,300,000,000 feet of 
lumber was cut in the State of New York on 
lands which were mostly supposed to have 
been lumbered, it is readily seen why there is 
necessity for prompt action on the part of the 
State to get hold of the Adirondack lands. 
Commissioner Whipple said he could not 
afford to make a failure of his business as Com¬ 
missioner, and that he felt that the people 
should hold up his hands and aid him in getting 
appropriations necessary to go on with the pur¬ 
chasing work. He asserted that his department 
is now in better shape than ever before, and that 
the men employed were kept at their highest 
efficiency. He referred to the greatly increased 
output of the State hatcheries, which last year 
planted over sixty million more fish in the 
waters of the State than in the previous year. 
The fines and penalties collected showed a sim¬ 
ilarly increased activity on the part of the pro¬ 
tectors. Two years ago $22,000 was collected,- 
a year 'ago $55,000 and this year $61,000, with 
several cases yet to hear from. Probably every 
man has a natural notion that he has the right 
to hunt and fish when he pleases, and that there 
must be a public sentiment enough to enforce 
the protective law if this idea is to be overcome. 
He counselled the League to give its Legisla¬ 
tive Committee sufficient leeway instead of giv¬ 
ing it ironclad orders. There is a wide diverg¬ 
ence of opinion as to what is right about the 
deer hunting season. In some respects it was 
unjust to cut off the month of- September, as 
was done last year. The time is coming when 
we must have a shorter season, and there is also 
to be considered the question whether the in¬ 
terests of the hotel-keepers and guides and resi¬ 
dents of the Adirondacks should not be con¬ 
sidered. If the law can .be adjusted so as to 
bridge over the thirty days between the hunting 
and fishing seasons in the Adirondacks it will 
be better for all concerned. He believed the 
trout season should be shortened fifteen days in 
the spring, because it is in the early spring when 
the trout are hungry that most of them are. 
caught. Take off fifteen days in the spring and 
add fifteen days- in September to the trout sea¬ 
son within the Adirondack preserve where it 
will not interfere with the spawning season, and 
you will have better protection. 
He favored cutting off fifteen days in Novem¬ 
ber from the deer hunting season, and adding 
fifteen days in September, so as to make the fish¬ 
ing and hunting season meet again in the Ad¬ 
irondack region, and- he believed this would 
solve the situation. In conclusion Mr. Whipple 
said the time has come when we 'must sacrifice 
our ideas about when we like to hunt and fish 
and adjust them to the requirements of pro¬ 
tection. He pointed out the lesson given us 
by Michigan, where formerly everybody hunted 
as they pleased and where now twenty-two 
counties have a close season and only twenty 
days open season are allowed in any case. 
Commissioner Whipple’s speech was fre¬ 
quently- interrupted by expressions of approval, 
and he was given an unanimous vote of thanks. 
by the League for his remarks when he had 
closed. 
Senator Allds said he wanted to approve the 
Commissioner’s views with regard to shorter 
seasons, and asked the League to remember that 
all legislation is in the nature of a compromise, 
for which reason he thought the Legislative 
Committee of the League should be given an 
opportunity to use its judgment in matters of 
legislation. He thought this committee should 
talk matters over with the cold storage men 
and dealers in game and see what could be 
done with reference to this portion of the sub¬ 
ject. He pointed out that the city members are 
nearly in the majority in the Legislature, and 
that they represented a constituency which does 
not hunt much, but which consumes largely the 
products of the hunt. There is no doubt as to 
the value or the necessity of protection for our 
home birds, arid he believed satisfactory results 
would ensue if the Legislative Committee of the 
League could meet the advocates of a more 
liberal law and everybody could get together 
and agree on something which the Commis¬ 
sioner could enforce. He believed that the time 
is ripe for a resident, as well as a nonresident 
license. Such a license would put a stop to 
Sunday shooting, a most desirable proposition, 
because on Sunday there is a foreign element 
which goes hunting and destroys large numbers 
of valuable birds. He believed that the pre¬ 
servation of the deer required that a stop be 
put to hunting in lumber camps, where a man 
hired for the purpose daily kills deer to pro¬ 
vide meat for the workmen, without regard to 
the close season. The protectors should also 
pay particular attention to ihe scamp who hunts 
deer out of season for the paltry value of their 
hides. These remarks were heartily applauded. 
A strong speech in favor of protection was 
also made by Mr. Parker, of the Norwich Fish 
and Game Club, who said he attended the meet¬ 
ing because of the favorable impression he had 
received of the work of the League. He spoke 
in favor of amending the Adirondack fish and 
game laws as suggested by Commissioner 
Whipple. “If you give many of the counties 
special laws,” he said, “you should give the Ad¬ 
irondack people what they want in order to sup¬ 
port themselves and families lawfully. There 
is no use to legislate that a man shall not have 
venison when his family is hungry. The people 
of • the woods are kind, open-hearted and 
