380 



Canadian ForcstrX) Journal, September, 1919 



PROSECUTING SETTLERS. 



A large audience assembled at the office of 

 Justice Lemieux of Kedgwick, on the 16th of 

 July, to attend the trial of twenty-one offenders 

 under the Forest Fire law. The cases covered: 

 neglecting, slash fires, neglecting to report forest 

 fires to the fire warden, and neglecting to secure 

 fire permits. 



Justice Malheson, of Campbellton, presided, 

 Justice Lemieux, of Kedgwick, acting as clerk 

 of court. Forest Rangers Roy, Hocquard, 

 Blanchard, Inspector Brophy, Caretaker Som- 

 ers and Provincial Forester Prince were present. 

 Assistant Chief Fire Inspector L. A. Gagnon 

 acted as prosecutor on behalf of the Depart- 

 ment of Crown Lands. 



The cour tsat for two days, twenty cases be- 

 ing completed at time of writing, fourteen of 

 which resulted in convictions. 



The evidence was taken in both French and 

 English, and the department took the oppor- 

 tunity of explaining to the people that they did 

 not wish to deal harshly with the residents, but 

 that .the fire law must be observed in the in- 

 terests of themselves as well as their neighbors 

 and surrounding timber owners. Justice Mid- 

 dleton gave the offenders severe reprimands, 

 pointing out not only the danger of neglecting 

 slash fires, but the terrible destruction rendered 

 by the recent fires in which nearly $122,000 

 damage resulted, and in which many of the 

 settlers lost their homes and property. It was 

 stated that thirty buildings were burned and 

 three small sawmills. Insurance covered about 

 one-half the damage. Justice Middleton as- 

 certained carefully the amount of damage each 

 of the offenders suffered by reason of the fire 

 and the fines against those who lost heavily 

 were allowed to stand. It is interesting to note 

 that none of the defendants pleaded ignorance 

 of the slash-burning law, but claimed that they 

 did not expect their fire would do any damage. 

 At the time of the fire, June 12th, the slash and 

 ground was extremely dry and the fire swept 

 over even hay and oat fields in which there was 

 nothing to feed the flames excepting scattered 

 stumps. In much of the area covered by the 

 fire all vegetable matter is burned out of the 

 soil and it is rendered almost useless. 



It is hoped that in the future the residents of 

 Kedgwick will carefully take every precaution 

 in burning, as it is considered miraculous that 

 some of them did not lose their lives in the 

 recent fire as well as their property. Several 

 spent the day in the railway cuts to escape the 

 smoke. 





QUEEN'S 



UNIVERSITY 



KINGSTON, 

 Ontario 



ARTS 



Part of the Arts course tuny be covered by 

 correspondeuce. 



MEDICINE EDUCATION 



Al PLIED SCIENCE 



Mininrf, Chemical, Civil, 



Mechanical and Electrical 



Engineering 



SUMMER SCHOOL NAV'GATION SCHOOl 



July and An^^rn^t. December to Aj^ril 



GEO. Y. CHOWN, Registrar. 



2G 



UNIVERSITY OF 



NEW BRUNSWICK 



FREDERICTON, N.B. 



DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY 



Established in 1908. 



Best of facilities for definite instruction 

 and supervision in Practical Forestry. 



Surveying, cruising and construction 

 work carried on in our own tract of 3600 

 acres, with Forestry Camp in the centre. 



Competent men from the School at 

 present in demand to take up Forest Sur- 

 vey work with the Provincial Crown Land 

 Department. 



For further information address: 



DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY 



University Calendar furnished on application. 

 C. C. JONES. Chancellor. 



