Forest Fire Legislation 



A Synopsis of the Report of the Committee of the Aitociation 



At tho annual huHinora meeting of the 

 Canradian Forontry AHuuciation held in 

 March, 11)10, u coniniittee comtiittiog of 

 Dr. B. E. Pernow and Mesarti. W. C. J. 

 Hall, ThoA. Southworth, Dr. Judson F. 

 Clark, O. C. Vw\\6, V. Davison and EII- 

 wood Wilson wuh appointed to investigmte 

 the laws of tho Dominion and the vari- 

 ous provinces concorniii)^ tho protection of 

 the forests from fire, and to point out de- 

 fects in theHc and suggest remedies. The 

 report of this committee was presented to 

 the Canadian Forestry Convention in Que- 

 bec in January last, and also to the an- 

 nual business meeting of the Canadian 

 Forestry Association, and will be pub- 

 lished in full in the report of the Con- 

 vention. Consequently only a synopsis of 

 the report is given here. This synopsis 

 is as follows: — 



A brief analysis of the different laws 

 existin); in each province shows great 

 variety of method. 



It is pointed out that, while the ob- 

 jects and main features or principles 

 might be made more alike, the methods 

 of application must vary with different 

 conditions. The forest fire law of Nova 

 Scotia is declared, the best and most 

 efficient, designed for a well-settled coun- 

 try, but would be only |)artially applic- 

 able in other provinces. 



The essentials of proper fire legisla- 

 tion are discussed in detail, and it is 

 pointed out that proper organization of 

 a protective service is more essential than 

 legislation, that the legislation should not 

 be specific but allow wide latitude in 

 making rules and devising methods to 

 the head of the fire service, who with 

 all his assistants, inspectors and fire 

 wardens — a permanent organization — 

 should be made responsible for the safety 

 of the districts in which the country 

 should be subdivided. 



The construction of watch towers 

 equipped with necessary apparatus, and 



the building of trails and t«l«pbooe lino, 

 while not inex|>«nNive, are ewentinl to 

 complete succrmi, and • saprems Hfort 

 should be made, even if expensive, to 

 stop the evil. The prompt discovery of 

 flres and the prevention of their setting 

 berond control would be tberebj nt* 

 tained. 



A main need is to ebanse the attitude 

 of the people at large, tienee an edu- 

 cational campaign by the fire service or- 

 ganization should go' on at the tame time 

 with their exercise of police functions. 



The burning of brash and 'downing' 

 of tops by lumbermen, not nnder a gen* 

 eial preiieriptioo, but by rule in each 

 ease, is advocated. 



The responsibility and methods of fire 



f»revention by railroads are discwsaed at 

 ength upon the basis of an exhaustive 

 report by the New York State Publie 

 Service Commission. 



The poesibility of oil-burning locomo- 

 tives is hinted at. The making of broad 

 fire safety strips is condemned, and in- 

 stead a foreet-covered strip, to exclude 

 sun and wind, cleaned of easily inflam- 

 mable material, is recommended. A re- 

 gular bicycle fire patrol to follow each 

 train is sugsested, and it is pointed out 

 that since the danger of fires spreading 

 is confined to the nours of 9 a.m. to 5 

 p.m. the expense could probably be ker>t 

 quite low. The inefBcleney of spark- 

 arresters and ashpans is explained. 



The work of forest protection associa- 

 tions in the Western Sutes is discussed, 

 and the effectiveness of such associations 

 shown. 



The report concludes with the state- 

 ment of belief that the people are ready 

 for a supreme effort to get rid of the Are 

 evil which threatens to wipe out a large 



Portion of the natural resources of the 

 dominion, not only in timber, but in soil, 

 thousands of square miles of which ara 

 now burned into barrens. 



One of the latest uses of cement as a 

 substitute for wood is in shipbuilding. A 

 scow constructed of reinforced concrete 

 was successfully launched at Port Dal- 

 housie, Ont., on 'Nov, 9 last. It is design- 

 ed for general use in maintenance work 

 on the Welland canal. 



Hon. Frank Cochrane, Minister of Laada, 

 Forests and Mine* for Ontario, recently 

 announced that during the coming winter 

 experiments in burning slash would be 

 conducted on certain timber limits in 

 Rainy River district. 



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