The Commissioner may formulate rules for the organization and maintenance of local fire companies to fight forest fires and may engage for that purpose such men as may be necessary. When necessary he shall provide fire preFighting vention and fire fighting apparatus, establish observation stations and Forest

Fires.

engage men to attend them. He shall provide fire signals and adopt a fire signal code. He may cause trails to be cut, ditches dug, and barriers erected such as may be necessary, in his judgment, to enable persons quickly to get to the fires and to prevent and fight fires. Under the Commissioner the superintendents of fire are charged with preventing and extinguishing forest fires in their respective fire districts and with the approval of the Commissioner each superintendent shall divide his district into separate fire patrol districts and subdivide them from time to time as the public interest requires. During seasons of drouth or other times when forest fires are liable to be set or spread, with the approval of the Commissioner the superintendents may employ suitable persons as fire patrolmen permanently to remain on and patrol such fire patrol districts and to prevent or extinguish any fires started thereon. The Commissioner and superintendents of fires, or if they be absent and fires actually are burning in the forests, the fire patrolmen and supervisors may hire horses and incur other necessary expenses, and summon any male person of the age of eighteen years to aid in stopping the fires. Any person physically able who refuses to aid shall be liable to a penalty of $20. Each fire patrolman shall make detailed report of any fire in his district to the superintendent of fires, who shall transmit it to the Commissioner. Fire patrolmen shall receive $75 a month and expenses while actually employed. Laborers engaged by patrolmen or superintendents of fires shall receive 15 cents an hour for time actually employed. One-half the expense of fighting fires shall be a charge upon the state and one-half upon the town in which the men are employed and actually engaged in fighting fires.

Any person who sets fire to waste or forest lands in the forest preserve counties. except as provided by law, or who negligently suffers a fire to extend as provided by law, or who negligently suffers a fire to extend from his own lands to other lands is guilty of a misdemeanor and is punishable by imprisonment of not more than one vear or a fine of not more than $1,000, or both, for each offence. Also such person shall be liable for damages to the state, or to individuals, corporations or municipali ties at the rate of $1 for each tree killed. Spread of fire from a railroad or any person using, manufacturing or producing any coal, wood, oil or other fuel or any inflammable material for other than domestic purposes shall be prima facie evidence of negligence.

When public necessity requires, the Governor shall have authority to suspend the hunting and fishing seasons and can forbid any persons to enter the forests of the state for such purposes, and forbid those already in the forest lands to hunt or fish. Violation of such proclamation shall be a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of $100 or imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both, in addition to the penalties for taking game in the close season.

The art fixes the season for taking buck deer from September 16 to November 15, both inclusive.

Chapter 241 appropriated $12.000 from the moneys received for hunting licenses Game Birds. to be used by the Forest. Fish and Game Commissioner to estahlish a farm for propagating and distributing game birds to restock depleted covers in this state.

Chapter 569 authorized the selection, location and appropriation of certain lands in the town of Saratoga Springs for a state reservation, to preserve the natural mineral springs located therein. The Governor Saratoga Reservation. shall appoint, by and with the consent of the Senate, three commissioners, residents of New York State. to be known as "the Commissioners of the State Reservation at Saratoga Springs." Each Commissioner shall hold office for five years and until another is appointed in his place No member of the board shall receive any compensation for his services, but shall b entitled to actual expenses in performing the duties of his office. It shall be the duty of this board, which shall have the power, to select and locate lands in the town of Saratoga Springs and any rights, easements or interest upon or in any lands in said town, as it shall deem proper and necessary to be taken to preserve the natural minera springs and restore them to their natural condition, The board may acquire rights. easements or interest in any property the whole of which it shall not acquire to protect springs or mineral water rights on any lands it shall acquire. The commissior shall cause maps to be made by the State Engineer of lands which, or rights and easements in which, it shall determine to take, and these maps shall be certified by a majority of the commissioners and filed in the office of the Secretary of State and the County Clerk of Saratoga County. From the time of the filing of any such map, with proper particuars, the title of the lands, rights, easements or interests therein specified shall become the property of the State of New York and constitute a portion of the reservation.

By a majority vote of its members the board shall have power within sixty days of the filing of any such map to agree with each and any of the owners of lands, rights or easements on the fair value thereof, and may agree on a price to be raid by the state, and the amounts thus agreed on shall be audited by the State Controller and paid by the State Treasurer on the certificate of the board and written approval of the Governor out of any funds appropriated for that purpose. In case the board shall not agree with any owner, then such owner or owners may recover judgment in the Court of Claims

as a claim against the state. From and after the acquisition of any such piece of land by the state it shall be kept and remain and be known as a part of the state reservation at Saratoga Springs for the purposes of restoring and forever preserving the mineral springs and wells and mineral water and natural carbonic acid gas on and in and under said lands. No part of such lands or rights or easements shall be sold without the express direction of the Legislature.

Said board shall have the custody and control of the reservation and all mineral springs, wells, mineral water and natural carbonic acid gas thereon, and shall enforce all proper regulations for the maintenance, care and protection of said properties. The board may grant leases and concessions of any part of the same on terms to be fixed by it, and may limit and prescribe the terms on which any excess of mineral water not used on said premises shall be sold and the labels to be attached thereto, or may itself sell such excess of water. Any violation of the regulations of the commission may be punished as a misdemeanor. A bond issue of $600,000 is authorized to acquire lands and rights and easements.

Chapter 463 created a forest reservation in the Highlands of the Hudson, west of the Hudson River, and made an appropriation of $5,000 to carry out the purposes of the act. This reservation shall include all lands, Hudson Highlands rights and interests therein, now owned or hereafter acquired Reservation. by the state within the mountains touching the Hudson River, lying in the towns of Cornwall, Woodbury and Highland, in Orange County, and Stony Point, in Rockland County, with certain specified boundaries. Those lands which are suitable for the growth of timber only are constituted a forest reservation to be managed and controlled after the methods of modern forestry, and the Forest, Fish and Game Commission is authorized to acquire and preserve, according to such methods, the lands and property within this forest rservation. The Commission shall have power to police and inspect the lands in the same manner as in the Adirondack Park and the forest preserves.

Chapter 171 wiped out the necessity for consent of the board of supervisors of a county and the town board to the establishment of a tuberculosis camp or hospital. It provides that any person, association, corporation or Tuberculosis municipality desiring to establish such camp or hospital shall file Camps. with the State Commissioner of Health a petition describing its character and the site desired, and requesting a hearing before the State Health Commissioner and the local health officer, who shall constitute a board to approve or disapprove the establishment of such institution. The State Commissioner shall fix a date for a hearing, send notices to the local health officer and each member of the Board of Health, and publish the notice twice in a local newspaper. Within thirty days after the hearing the Health Commissioner and the local health officer, if they are able to agree, shall give a final answer to the petition. If within thirty days they are unable to agree they shall so notify the petitioners, and within ten days after such notice a request may be filed with the Health Commissioner that the petition be referred to a board consisting of the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly and the State Health Commissioner, who, after a hearing or on the evidence filed with the Health Commissioner, shall make a final decision within thirty days.

Chapter 106 appropriated $278,000 for the construction and equipment at the State Fair Improvements. State Fair Grounds, at Syracuse, of a state institutions, grange, administration, press and dairy building, a stable and carriage building and the permanent improvement of the grounds. Chapter 278 provided that no owner, lessee, manager or controller or doorkeeper, ticket seller or ticket taker of a kinetoscope o Moving Picture Shows. moving picture exhibition may admit to the performance a child actually or apparently under sixteen years of age, unless accompanied by parent or guardian.

Chapter 246 amended the penal law by making the punishment for kidnapping imprisonment for not less than five years Kidnapping. than fifty years.

nor more

Chapter 375 amended the public health law by abolishing, after June 1, 1909, the board of Commissioners of Quarantine at the Port o Quarantine Com- New York, and transferring all the powers and duties posmission Abolished. sessed by or imposed on the Commissioners of Quarantine to the Health Officer of the Port of New York.

Consolidation

The session of 1909 was notable for the enactment of the "consolidated laws" -a revision, codification and consolidation of all existing statutes, effected by the Statutory Revision Commission. Also there was passed for the second time a constitutional amendment exempting from compuOther Laws. tation in the debt limit of New York City income producing transit, water supply and dock bonds, and in the debt limits of third class cities income producing water supply bonds. Resolutions were adopted creating special legislative committees to investigate direct primaries; to consider the advisability of placing telephone and telegraph companies under the control of the Public Service commissions and to inquire into the work of the commissions themselves; to consider a proposed draft for a New York City charter, and to take up the

subject of creating a board of fiscal control for state institutions and departments. A law was passed creating a commission appointed by the Governor and leaders of the two legislative houses to study the subject of employers' liability and the condition of the unemployed. Among other laws passed were two forbidding the practice of law by corporations except charitable legal aid associations; making the removal of an automobile from a garage and its use by any person without the consent of the owner, larceny; creating a board of ambulance control in New York City, and forbid ding the issuance of corporate stock of New York City to pay running expenses.

NEW YORK ORGANIZED MILITIA.

The military forces of this state are under the command of the Governor, the commander-in-chief of all forces. General headquarters, adjutant general's office, Albany, N. Y., and State Arsenal, 35th street and Seventh avenue, New York City. All orders governing the military forces of this state are promulgated from this office by command of the Governor, and all correspondence upon military subjects is transmitted to the adjutant general's office. The organized militia of the state consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia. Adjutant general, State of New York, Brigadier General Nelson H. Henry.

The National Guard consists of the several staff departments, one field hospital, two companies of signal corps, two squadrons and two separate troops of cavalry, one battalion of three batteries and one separate battery of field artillery, one regiment of engineers, thirteen regiments of infantry, a medical department and a coast artillery corps of thirty-one companies, organized in three artillery districts. The strength of the guard on September 30, 1909, was as follows:

The National Guard is commanded under the orders of the Governor by Major General Charles F. Roe, with headquarters at the Capitol, Albany, and an office at No. 280 Broadway, New York City, to which headquarters are attached the Field Hospital, 1st and 2d companies, Signal Corps, Squadrons A and C, Troops B and D, Cavalry; the 1st Battalion and 6th Battery, Field Artillery; the Coast Artillery Corps and the 22d Regiment, Engineers.

The Coast Artillery Corps comprises three districts, the 13th, 9th and 8th Artillery districts, and the Chief of Coast Artillery is Brigadier General David E. Austen, with headquarters at the 13th District Coast Artillery Armory, Sumner and Jefferson avenues, Brooklyn, N. Y.

The infantry is organized in four brigades, as follows:

First Brigade-Brigadier general, George Moore Smith; headquarters, Park avenue and 34th street, New York City; composed of the 7th, 12th, 69th and 71st regiments.

Second Brigade-Brigadier general, John G. Eddy; headquarters, No. 1322 Bedford avenue, Brooklyn; composed of the 14th, 23d and 47th regiments.

Third Brigade-Brigadier general, James H. Lloyd; headquarters, No. 72 Chapel street, Albany; composed of the 1st, 2d and 10th regiments.

Fourth Brigade Brigadier general, Lauren W. Pettebone; headquarters, No. 451 Main street, Buffalo; composed of the 3d, 65th and 74th regiments.

The Naval Militia is composed of two battalions and two separate divisions. The strength of the Naval Militia is 55 officers and 755 enlisted men, a total of 810. The Naval Militia is commanded under the orders of the Governor by Captain Jacob W. Miller, with headquarters on board the U. S. S. Granite State, foot of West 97th street, N. R., New York City. The vessels of the United States Navy loaned the State of New York for the use of the Naval Militia are: Wasp, 630 tons; Aileen, 192 tons; Sandoval, 100 tons; Granite State, 4,150 tons.

Headquarters-First Battalion, U. S. S. Granite State, U. S. S. Gloucester, 97th street and North River, New York City; Second Battalion, U. S. S. Aileen, 52d street, Brooklyn; Second Separate Division, Rochester, U. S. S. Sandcval, Charlotte Harbor; Third Separate Division, Buffalo, U. S. S. Wasp.

CONGRESS DISTRICTS OF NEW YORK STATE.

LAW OF APRIL 27, 1901.

The Reapportionment Act of 1901 divided the state into Congress districts in accordance with the terms of the Federal Apportionment law of the same year, which increased New York's representation in the lower branch of Congress from thirty-four members to thirty-seven. It provided as follows:

Section 1. For the election of Representatives in Congress of the United States this State shall be and is hereby divided into thirty-seven districts, namely:

1st-Counties of Suffolk, Nassau and the 3d, 4th and 5th wards of Queens