Fighting Fires and Thieves 195 



intrusted with these duties are usually concerned 

 more about recovering the value of timber already 

 cut than to prevent trespasses. As the scattered 

 system of ownership practically prevents an effec- 

 tive fire police by private holders of timber-land, 

 it is necessary that this duty be undertaken by 

 government. This position may be maintained on 

 two grounds : that the owners of forest property 

 are entitled to protection against a common danger 

 from which they cannot protect themselves ; and 

 that the entire people are interested in having this 

 kind of property preserved from destruction. On 

 whichever ground you put it, the duty of govern- 

 ment in this matter is admitted practically by every- 

 body. The question is, how can this duty be best 

 performed ? 



The easiest, but also the least effective, way of 

 doing so is the passage of penal statutes. Proba- 

 bly every State, as well as the United States, has 

 had laws of this kind for a long time. Their pro- 

 visions differ as to details in the various jurisdic- 

 tions, but usually they threaten with fine and 

 imprisonment any person convicted of setting fire 

 on any land not his own and failing to extinguish it 

 before leaving. This refers, of course, to fires 

 kindled for purposes in themselves legitimate. 

 Malicious incendiarism is dealt with in a more 

 severe manner. The difficulty with laws of this 

 kind lies in their enforcement. Fires in the woods 

 are so common as not in themselves to attract 

 much notice or apprehension. They may be left 



