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purpose would be greatly reduced. But petroleum is much more 

 expensive than coal, and so the companies may prefer to employ 

 patrols rather than make any change in their motive power. 



This is no new idea. The system has already been in force for 

 several years by the Canadian government with good results. In 

 1902 there were 234 rangers employed on the Crown lands at an 

 expense of $34,200. This plan was put in operation in 1885, at which 

 time 37 men were employed on this duty. The result was so satis- 

 factory that the number was increased from year to year, until now 

 there are 234 men employed on this work. The great Algonquin 

 Park, in the Province of Ontario, which has an area of 1,109,383 

 acres, is also watched carefully by forest guards, whose principal 

 duty is the prevention of fires. The Dominion government has found 

 that in the administration of its own lands the method of prevention 

 is the cheapest in the end. 



I wish here to call your attention to the important services ren- 

 dered by Mr. L. S. Emmons, the Chief Firewarden of the Commis- 

 sion. During the fires last spring he was on the ground every day 

 from first to last, assisting the wardens in organizing working parties 

 and, at times, superintending the men personally. When this work 

 was finished he devoted his time to the prosecution of persons who 

 had violated sections of the fire law, after which he returned to the 

 Albany office, where he has been busily engaged in the adjustment 

 of the accounts between the various towns and the State. 



I desire also to acknowledge the valuable assistance received from 

 Foresters Knechtel and Pettis, each of whom worked faithfully dur- 

 ing the critical period of the fires. Through the energetic care and 

 activity of Mr. Pettis the extensive plantation of seedling trees at 

 Lake Clear Junction was saved from destruction. With a party of 

 men he stopped a dangerous fire that burned its way to the edge of 



