News and Notes 541 



Another excellent provision of the new Quebec act is that any 

 fire ranger or other forest officer may stimmon any male citizen 

 between 18 and 55 years of age to assist in extinguishing any forest 

 fire, the rate of pay being specified, and penalty being provided for 

 failure to obey the summons. 



The fire laws of the province of Quebec are among the most 

 progressive in Canada, but larger appropriations are needed to 

 make them fully effective. In particular, provision should be 

 made for a larger staff of inspectors. 



Satisfactory progress was made during 1915 in the railway fire 

 protection work, which has been handled during the past four 

 seasons under the regulations of the Board of Railway Commis- 

 sioners. The co-operation of the various federal and provincial 

 fire-protective organizations has been given freely, and, with very 

 few exceptions, the railways have also co-operated heartily and 

 effectively. 



A total of 686 fires in forest sections is reported as having orig- 

 inated within 300 feet of the lines of railways subject to the Railway 

 Commission's jiu-isdiction. Of these, 43.4 per cent are definitely 

 attributed to railway agencies, 27.8 per cent to known causes other 

 than railways, and 28.8 per cent to tmknown causes. Of the total 

 area burned over, amoimting to about 37,263 acres, 33.1 per cent 

 is chargeable against the railways, 20.9 per cent to known causes 

 other than railways, and 46 per cent to unknown causes. The 

 total damage done is estimated at $74,256. Of this, the railways 

 are definitely charged with only 11.2 per cent, while 24.2 per cent 

 of the damage is due to known causes other than railways, and 

 64.4 per cent to unknown causes. Thus the railways, exclusive 

 of Government lines and a few railways having provincial charters, 

 are directly charged with less than half of the total number of 

 fires reported as having originated within 300 feet of the track; 

 these burned over less than one third of the total area reported, 

 and did only one tenth of the total estimated damage. This 

 showing is distinctly favorable to the railways, especially when it 

 is considered that this 10 per cent of damage totals less than 

 $8,400. These figures show that the railways have been remark- 

 ably efficient in extinguishing their own fires, as well as those due 

 to outside causes. 



Of all fires reported, the causes are as follows: locomotives, 33.9 

 per cent; railway employees, 9.5 per cent; tramps, etc., 11.4 per 

 cent; settlers, 12.5 per cent; other known causes, 3.9 per cent; 



