y8 FOREST commissioner's report. 



In making a study of the working system of the Maine For- 

 estry District my observations lead me to conclude that the best 

 service is obtained from the lookout stations. The number of 

 these stations have been added to until there are 26 stations in 

 actual service and the results from each have been very satis- 

 factory. Some improvements will have to be made at the old 

 stations bvit in the main they are in very good repair and work- 

 ing order. A man on a lookout station has a view of a large 

 territory and on a clear day can detect a smoke rising from most 

 any direction even many miles away. Observing such smoke 

 and immediately telephoning the fire warden not much time is 

 lost in getting on the spot and extinguishing the fire. 



To make the lookout stations of the most value there must 

 be perfect telephone connections and much has been done 

 to perfect these lines. Experience has taught that best 

 results come from a line leading direct from the station to the 

 home of the chief warden or deputy or to some place where 

 men are employed. While the patrol system has its value, T 

 think that much more can be accomplished by lessening the 

 number of patrols and building more lookout stations. 



A man on patrol is somewhat limited to the amount of good 

 work that he can do from the fact that the territory covered is 

 such that while he may be constantly at work a fire may break 

 out on the opposite end of his route and he would be entirely 

 ignorant of the same for some hours before he discovered it. 

 While on the other hand a man on the lookout station could see 

 the smoke almost immediately and send word in regard to the 

 same. 



In 1909 the law relative to forest fires in incorporated towns 

 was amended but such amendment has not accomplished all that 

 was desired. If constitutional, towns and plantations bordering 

 on the Maine Forestry District and which are separated there- 

 from only by an imaginary line should be included within the 

 jurisdiction of the said district or some special law provided 

 that would give the timberlands in such towns or plantations 

 similar protection to that afiforded under the Forestry District 

 law. I am of the opinion that in place of the selectmen of the 

 town being fire wardens that a competent warden should be 

 appointed or elected by the town whose duties would be to 

 attend to the forest fire matters. With the law resting in any 



