FORESTRY PROGRESS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 27 



In 1905 Jason E. Tolles and Robert P. Bass were appointed on the for- 

 estry commission and the fire law was revised to make the chief of the fire 

 department in each town responsible for the extinguishment of brush fires, as 

 forest fire warden. Penalties for setting fire were made more severe, but the 

 towns or owners still paid all bills. 



In 1906, through the generosity of Gifford Pinchot and department, an 

 additional study was made possible in the southern half of the state to sup- 

 plement the work done by Chittenden in the north, and Charles A. Lyford, 

 M. F., and Louis Margolin, F. E., conducted investigations and prepared tables 

 on the growth of white pine, of particular scientific value to the whole country, 

 giving the rotation and the expectation profit from planting, and data to show 

 its advantage as an investment. Their report also showed the growing need 

 of reform, especially in the southern part of the state, in the manner of tax- 

 ing forest lands and the inequalities and abuses of the present system and 

 laid down the general lines upon which procedure should be made towards 

 exemption. 



In 1908 the state received an additional gift of the reservation of fiO 

 acres of pine in the town of Jaftrey, generously made by Miss Frances A. L. 

 Haven of New York City. 



Robert E. Faulkner of Keene, served on the commission as its secretary 

 in 1907-1908, and by the disinterested gift of his salary made possible the 

 establishment of the first mountain lookout fire station in the state. In the 

 same year the commission, with the active co-operation of the United States 

 Forest Service, instituted an investigation of the taxation of forest lands, and 

 the efficiency of the fire laws in New Hampshire, and much original data 

 was secured of great value in the scientific study of the taxation problem, both 

 in the state and country at large. 



Through the efforts of many clear-sighted, unselfish citizens, of the able 

 members of the forestry commission, and not least of the Society for the Pro- 

 tection of New Hampshire Forests, the subject of scientific forest manage- 

 ment and development, had by this time come to be a recognized public econ- 

 omic question of the highest importance. 



Largely through the efforts of Mr. Robert P. Bass, then a member of the 

 commission, the legislature of 1909 passed a much enlarged and improved 

 forestry bill, which called for a smaller commission, a state forester, reorgan- 

 ization of town fire wardens, and the state to share expense conjointly with 

 the towns in fighting fire. Provision was made for educational and protective 

 work, but the amount appropriated by the legislature was insufficient to cover 

 anything but the actual expense of putting out fires and maintaining the 

 department. Mr. Robert P. Bass, Mr. Jason E. Tolles and the writer, were 

 appointed on the new commission authorized by this law. Mr. E. C. Hirst 

 of the Yale Forestry School, was appoiuted state forester. Two huudred 

 and twenty-five town fire wardens were then appointed by the state forester. 

 Bulletins were issued and lectures given. A call for a meeting at Gorham, 

 N. H., in March, 1910, of the large timber land owners, was widely attended 

 and addresses showing the advantages of co-operation and combination in 

 reducing fire risk were made by William T. Cox, assistant forester of the 

 Service at Washington, E. E. Ring, forest commissioner of Maine, A. F. Hawes, 

 forester of Vermont, Austin Gary, superintendent of state forest lands of 

 New York, and E. C. Hirst, forester of New Hampshire, and a subscription 

 was secured which enabled the state forester to establish and maintain during 

 tiiat summer fourteen mountain fire lookout stations over the northern forests 

 of the state. A small state nur.sery was started by the members of the com- 

 mission personally, and the general interest in this was evidenced by orders 

 coming in almost immediately for more than its total production. It is hoped 

 that this nursery will be taken over and provided for by the state. 



