
e 
Dec. 28, 1907.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
1057 

The New York League Meeting. 
Syracuse, N. Y., Dec. 16—Editor Forest and 
Stream: 1f I may be allowed a little space I 
will explain to your readers just what took place 
and what motives actuated such procedures at 
the annual meeting of the New York State Fish, 
Game and Forest League at Syracuse, Dec. 5. 
I wish first to allude to the work done by the 
Onondaga during the 
Anglers’ Association of 
past year. I refer to this work because I be 
lieve that it furnishes a clue to the motive which 
prompted 
by the Albany element at the convention to de- 
the reprehensible measures employed 
feat our lecal candidate for the office of presi- 
dent of the State League. 
Last March the Anglers’ Association had_ be- 
tween 400 and 500 members, and had been doing 
more for protection than any other club in the 
State. At that time Dr. F. S. 
elected president of the organization, and dur- 
Honsinger was 
ing the following six months he organized com- 
mittees which resulted in ‘bringing the member- 
The association employed 
over $7,000 
ship roll up to 1,200. 
eight special protectors, destroyed 
worth of nets and other illegal devices, and made 
thirty-six arrests for violations of the fish and 
game laws in this county; so it is evident that 
this association has been very active in carrying 
out the provisions of the game laws. The presi- 
dent of the association has studied the conditions 
by going out with the protectors on their raids 
and actively co-operating in rounding up pirates. 
As a result of the activity of this 
public sentiment throughout all central and north- 
association 
ern New York has been aroused, and this senti- 
ment has been a moral support to the protectors 
and the department. Fish and game clubs have 
sprung up in all the cities and villages through- 
out this territory, and it was. the representa- 
tive sportsmen, with the assistance of others from 
the western and southeastern part of the State, 
who pushed forward the candidacy of Dr. Hon- 
New York State 
believing him to be the right man to 
singer as president of the 
League, 
develop interest and to organize the whole State 
on the same plan that he had organized this 
locality. The from 
pected that with Dr. Honsinger as president of 
delegates these clubs ex- 
the State League, he would have the State so 
thoroughly organized and would arouse so much 
public interest in its every corner and among all 
classes of sportsmen, that the League would soon 
be in a position to assist the Forest, Fish and 
Game Department to carry to a successful issue 
any proposition for the benefit of the public at 
large. 
Knowing of the interest that Dr. Honsinger 
had in this work, and as he resided in the city 
where the convention was to be held, the presi- 
dent of the State League appointed him chair- 
man of a committee to make arrangements for 
the banquet, etc. The arrangements for the ban- 
quet and lecture were satisfactory. 
Secretary Whish, of the State League, had 
notified all clubs that the meeting would be held 
This 
room accommodates about seventy-five people, 
in the assembly room of one of the hotels. 
and as there were expected to attend the State 
meeting seventy-five game protectors, over eighty 
delegates, and a number of individual members 
from this city and elsewhere, the doctor knew 
that the room would not accommodate them, and 
made arrangements to hold the meeting in the 
hall of the Carnegie Library near by. The State 
Dec. 4 in the 
They completely 
game protectors were in session 
assembly room of the hotel. 
filled it. 
the meeting of the State protectors as stated in 
Commissioner Whipple did not attend 
your last week’s issue, and a number of the pro- 
that 
sense there was in bringing them here at an ex- 
tectors remarked they did not see what 
pense to the State of New York of approximately 
$1,000. They that 
would confer with them and advise them about 
work, but the 
expected the commissioner 
their commissioner did not ar- 
rive in the city until the middle of the afternoon 
of Dec. 5. When the 
Fish and Game Commission arrived on the even- 
ing of the 4th, it is reported that he found fault 
with the chairman of the committee on arrange- 
secretary of the Forest, 
ments for having changed the place of meeting. 
On the morning of the 5th the delegates as- 
sembled at the hotel, and as there was not room 
enough for one-third the number in attendance, 
the City Hall assembly room was tendered the 
committee as a meeting place. This was accepted 
and the meeting was called to order shortly after 
Routine business 
to o'clock. matters of 
attended to, and the president appointed a com- 
were 
mittee to pass on the credentials of the delegates. 
The committee consisted of two men from his 
The secretary, Mr. Whish, an- 
nounced that he had written three hundred let- 
own faction 
ters to different clubs and to sportsmen in dif- 
ferent cities and villages throughout the State 
urging them to join the New York State League. 
This sudden strenuous effort on the part of the 
secretary resulted in but seven replies and five 
new clubs joined upon his invitation. Two weeks 
previous to the meeting Dr. Honsinger’s can- 
didacy was announced in the local papers and 
the officers of the League were acquainted with 
that fact. 
After Mr. Whish’s statement the delegates sub- 
mitted their credentials. The clubs supporting 
Dr. Honsinger had their credentials typewritten, 
bearing the names of the delegates and properly 
signed by the president and secretary of each club. 
Hon- 
singer, a number of them being new clubs which 
had just applied for membership and paid their 
dues. 
There were twenty-four supporting Dr. 
After the credentials had been inspected 
a rumor was current through the hall that the 
delegates from the new clubs would not be al- 
lowed to vote at this meeting; in other words 
that the clubs would not be elected to member- 
ship until after the officers. The 
order of business, first for the 
application of clubs and presentation of creden- 
tials, the election of officers being last. During 
the noon recess the secretary stated to a number 
of delegates from new clubs that they could not 
election of 
however, calls 
Quite a few of them were so disgusted 
that they were ready to leave for home at once. 
vote. 
On second thought they decided to remain and 
fight it out. When the meeting was resumed in 
the afternoon a motion was made to admit all 
the clubs which had applied for membership. 
They were all admitted with the exception of 
four, which the secretary claimed had not put in 
formal applications. The applications with the 
annual dues had passed through the treasurer’s 
hands and he had a record of the clubs and had 
credited them with their dues. So these four 
applications were lost somewhere on a large table 
between the treasurer’s and the secretary’s seat, 
which were about three feet apart. 
Considerable argument was indulged in regard- 
ing the acceptance of these four clubs under the 
circumstances, but to no avail. During the early 
part of the afternoon session the delegates from 
various parts of the State expressed themselves 
as being in favor of a closed season on partridge 
for one year. Some argued that if the partridge 
season were closed the woodcock and squirrel 
season should also be closed for fear that some 
hunters would not hesitate to shoot partridges 
while ostensibly seeking other game. The motion 
for a closed season on partridge, however, was 
passed, and I believe that the sportsman public 
generally desire it. 
About this time 
upon the 
stated that if the 
closed there would be no use for firearms, and if 
Commissioner Whipple came 
scene. He was given the floor and 
seasons were all going to be 
guns to be used for a year it 
there were no 
with his hunting 
license bill, which he hoped to get through the 
Legislature winter. He 
revenue from this source to be 
would interfere materially 
this with the 
expects 
able to increase 
the number of protectors and also to increase 
their pay. After he had finished speaking some 
motion, which received 
modification, to the effect that there be allowed 
an open season on all game as at present, but 
that the season should be shorter and the bag 
further limited. 
Now, from all over the 
State had paid their good money to come here 
delegate made a some 
after the delegates 
to express the desire of their constituents regard- 
ing a closed season on partridges, and it had once 
passed in the convention, Commissioner Whip- 
ple’s appeal in the interests of the game protec- 
tor’s 
caused a motion 
passed by the convention to be reversed by pass- 
pocketbook previously 
ing the motion in favor of an open season on 
everything. This motion was passed largely by 
the game protectors, none of whom had the right 
to vote, with the exception of perhaps four or 
five who may have been delegates, there being 
some dissenting voices among the regular dele- 
I speak of this to show how motions were 
The husky 
voices of the seventy-five game protectors were 
gates. 
carried throughout the convention. 
thrown into the breach whenever the Albany ele- 
ment became faint-hearted at some particularly 
outrageous piece of unparliamentary procedure 
In the meantime the nominating committee was 
This committee was out 
effect 
they called a compromise, by having our Syra- 
president 
out framing up a slate. 
for some time, and endeavored to what 
cuse candidate for accept a minor 
office. 
Dr. Honsinger told the committee that he and 
Mr. Considine had shaken hands the day before 
with the understanding that everything would be 
fair and square, and that whichever way the elec- 
tion went they would both act in any capacity 
requested in order to effect the greatest good in 
the interests of fish and game protection through- 
out the State. Dr. Honsinger told the committee 
that he believed he had a majority of the dele- 
gates, and he could see no reason for compro- 
mise under the circumstances, so the committee 
submitted a slate composed of all the old officers 
with the exception of substituting Dr. Honsin- 
Mr. 
motion 
ger’s name for vice-president in place of 
Bowman. An 
that the 
S 
nominated 
made a 
ecretary cast one vote for the officers 
eastern delegate 
by the committee, but not even the 
assenting shouts of the game protectors could 
“No” from Dr 
Honsinger’s supporters and other delegates who 
drown the indignant cries of 
wanted to see fair play. An attempt on the part 

