News and Notes. 501 



been better compliance with the requirements of the Board, and 

 a far greater degree of co-operation between the various agencies 

 interested in fire prevention. In particular, the railways are co- 

 operating much more closely than previously with the fire protec- 

 tive organizations of the Dominion and Provincial Governments. 

 The situation has also been greatly improved by the increase, in 

 number and strength, of lumbermen's co-operative fire protec- 

 tive associations, of which there are now two in the Province of 

 Quebec protecting a total of nearly 14,000,000 acres. 



In the past, railways have always been regarded as one of 

 the principal causes of forest fire destruction. This situation is 

 now being rapidly changed, by the increasing care given this 

 matter under the requirements of the Railway Commission. The 

 fire hazard is being reduced by the expenditure of large sums by 

 railway companies in disposing of inflammable debris on right 

 of way. Great care is taken to keep the spark arresters on loco- 

 motives in good order. Through the more dangerous sections, 

 special fire patrols are maintained, and everywhere railway em- 

 ployees have received special instructions regarding the reporting 

 and extinguishing of fires in the vicinity of the track. 



Reports received by the Chief Fire Inspector of the Board in- 

 dicate that to a very much greater extent than in previous years 

 the fires in the vicinity of the railways have been adequately 

 handled by the railway employees, and that most of the serious 

 fires reported as occuring in May, originated at a distance from 

 the railways, frequently escaping from settlers slash-burning 

 operations. 



The Canadian Pacific Railway has reorganized the local ad- 

 ministration of the special fire patrols on its western lines, re- 

 quired by the Board of Railway Commissioners, by placing the 

 matter under the direction of its Forestry Branch of which Mr. 

 R. D. Prettie is Superintendent, with headquarters at Calgary. 

 The new arrangement affects the handling of fire protection work 

 on all lines of the C. P. R. running through forest sections west of 

 Fort William, Ont. The C. P. R. Forestry Branch has previously 

 been closely associated with fire protection work, through the 

 assignment of inspectors, but the new arrangements will greatly 



