PREVENTION OF FOREST FIRES IN MINNESOTA 49 



that locality, in an investigation since the fire, assisted by Mr. Frank Curtis, 

 a cruiser living in the region, found that the origin of the Baudette fire was 

 from a combination of four fires that had been burning in swamps, three of 

 which had been started by settlei's and one by sparks from the railroad loco- 

 motive. It is probable that if there had been means for continuing ranger 

 service in that locality the calamity would not have occurred. 



We must remember that the forests of Minnesota are worth |100,000,000 

 and that they increase in value by growth at the net rate of 2 per cent per 

 annum or |2,000,000 a year. The $21,000 appropriated annually for protecting 

 these forests from fire is scarcely enough for effective work in any one out of 

 eight large counties requiring fire warden service. Minnesota has been criti- 

 cised by the press of the entire coimtry for its parsimony. A costly tuition 

 has taught us that we must have more stringent laws for the prevention of 

 fires, and more money for their enforcement. The careless use of fire that has 

 been habitual in the forest regions of our northwestern states would not be 

 permitted in a country like Germany. 



A large per cent of forest fires are set by sparks from railroad locomotives. 

 There are in Minnesota in round numbers 2,000 miles of railroads, including 

 logging roads in the forest regions. Locomotives equipped with the best spark 

 arresters will, on an up-grade with heavy train, emit sparks; hence our law 

 of 1909 required railroad companies to employ patrols in "a dry season." 

 Instead of complying with this, the law was contested by railroad companies 

 and three district judges of the fifteenth district held that the words "dry 

 season" were too indefinite and the law invalid. The prosecutor in criminal 

 cases cannot appeal and the state has been unable to have the law construed 

 by the Supreme Court. Our remedy must be to copy the New York law of 1909 

 which requires railroad companies operating in forest regions to maintain an 

 efficient fire patrol from April 1st to November 1st, and if they fail to do so, 

 then the state shall do it and the railroad companies pay for it. At present 

 railroad companies pay in the aggregate large amounts for damages caused 

 by fires they set. Forest fires discourage new settlers from going upon the 

 vacant lands. It is for the best interest of such companies to take more pains 

 than they have hitherto done for the prevention of such fires along their lines. 



In 1905 I presented to the legislature a bill that had been drawn with the 

 assistance of the best legal talent in St. Paul, providing that if those who cut 

 wood and timber for commercial purposes did not burn the slashings the state 

 would do it and the expense be a lien on their property; but the opposition 

 to it was too strong. I firmly believe that if it had been passed and enforced, 

 neither the Chisholm nor Baudette calamity would have occuri'ed. 



I presented evidence to the foresti'y committees of the last legislature 

 that under the regulations of the Interior Department of the United States, 

 slashings from winter logging in the Minnesota National Forest were success- 

 fully burned at the time of cutting; but at the earnest request of representa- 

 tives of logging companies, the bill which I had prepared was amended to 

 read : "Said burning shall be done as soon as practicable at a time when it can 

 be done without danger and before the first day of May next following." But 

 this law has not proved successful and it is necessary to enact a law requiring 

 branches to be lopped from the tree and burned at the time of cutting by 

 piling them upon a fire, where the logging is between November 1st and April 

 1st. All laws should be administered with common sense, and with a spirit 

 of justice and it is to be hoped, in view of the sad experience we have had, 

 timber producers generally will support such a law and give it a fair trial. 

 There must be some spirit of sacrifice all around if we are to succeed in avert- 

 ing the terrible forest fires that discredit our civilization. 



