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all proper means for fighting forest fires it does not contain sufficient 

 provisions for their prevention. The best way to fight fires is to 

 have no fires. Our present law works well enough ,in ordinary 

 years, but it does not accomplish its purpose in a season of exceptional 

 drought, and it fails to eliminate the danger from railroads. Unless 

 amended in these respects it will be only a question of time before 

 there will be a recurrence of a similar or worse disaster. 



The patrol system may be expensive some years, but it will cost less 

 than fighting fires that otherwise will surely occur, to say nothing of 

 the loss of property and injury to forest conditions. It cost $153,000 

 to fight fires this year, the most of which could have been prevented 

 by the expenditure of a small proportion of this money in hiring 

 patrols to guard the railroad lines and to watch the dangerous par- 

 ties who were strolling through the woods. I doubt, however, if any 

 law or force of patrols can prevent incendiary fires ; for the men who 

 commit these crimes select places and opportunities that enable them 

 to avoid detection in most instances. 



The patrols are needed only during a part of April and May, and 

 in many years a rainy spring would render their services unnecessary. 

 A summer drought may occur some year, as in 1899, when the 

 firewardens would have to order them on duty to guard the 

 forest. That portion of the expense incurred by patrolling railroad 

 lines should be borne in part by the railroad companies, the propor- 

 tion to be determined by the Legislature. But, however this may be 

 arranged, the patrols should be under the sole authority and control 

 of the local firewardens. In other localities the expense should 

 be borne by the town and State, as provided under the present 

 law for fighting fire. If the railway managers would consent to the 

 use of petroleum in April and May, and at such other times as the 

 forest conditions might require, the number of men needed for this 



