News and Notes 415 



The week of October 18 will be forestry week at the Panama- 

 Pacific Exposition at San Francisco, fire protection, lumbering 

 and related subjects being brought to the fore. The Society of 

 American Foresters will hold their meeting on Monday October 

 18, the Western Forestry and Conservation Association on Tues- 

 day, October 19, the American Forestry Association on Wednes- 

 day, October 20, and the Pacific Logging Congress on October 

 21. Visits to lumber camps in the wonderful redwoods will com- 

 plete the week. 



During the last few days in May and the first week to ten days 

 in June, the weather conditions in eastern Canada were very dry, 

 resulting in the spread of many fires, some of which assumed 

 large proportions and did considerable damage. Information 

 secured by both the Dominion Conservation Commission and the 

 Railway Commission indicates that while the damage done by 

 railway fires was small, much property has been destroyed 

 through the spread of fires started by settlers for the clearing 

 of land. 



In Ontario, there is practically no restriction upon settlers' 

 brush-burning operations, and the result has been that during 

 every dry season for many years fires started by settlers for this 

 purpose have spread beyond control, causing great loss of prop- 

 erty, and, in some cases, loss of life. 



The situation in New Brunswick has been very similar in the 

 past, but as a result of serious fires caused by settlers during the 

 early summer, along the International railway, now a part of the 

 Government Railways System, an order-in-council has recently 

 been issued by the Provincial Government providing that in the 

 future, in the settlements of Hazen and Grimmer, no settlers' 

 slashings shall be burned except upon permit issued by a forest 

 officer. 



In Quebec, the law endeavors to regulate the setting out of 

 fires, by establishing a closed season, during which no such fires 

 shall be set, unless a permit is issued by an officer of the Forest 

 Protection Branch. However, great difficulty has been met in se- 

 curing satisfactory observance of this law, and nearly every year 

 great damage is caused on this account. 



As a rule, the railways are now doing thoroughly commendable 

 work in fire protection, and have in many cases expended consid- 

 erable sums in controlling fires unquestionable due to outside 



