CONSERVATION COMMISSION. 25 



All attorneys representing the State's interest were requested 

 to send their cases to the commission with substitutions, and at- 

 this time the Deputy Attorney-General assigned to the work of 

 the commission has on his calendars every action and appeal in- 

 volving proceedings authorized by the commission or its prede- 

 cessors. 



Many cases heretofore commenced were found to be without 

 merit and have been promptly discontinued, and we are now scru- 

 tinizing carefully the proofs in all complaints before ordering 

 ,-mit upon them with a view to prosecuting only real violators of 

 the law, and as a result of this policy of discrimination but two 

 cases have been decided adversely to the State's interests since 

 the formation of this department. 



There seems to be a growing tendency to observe the laws 

 which lessen the dangers from forest fires, and the violations, for 

 the most part, come from those who were ignorant of the law. 

 In nearly all cases the precautions required of each have been 

 promptly taken when their attention was directed to the regula- 

 tions. A great many cases arise from deliberate trespass upon 

 lands claimed by the State in order that disputes as to title may 

 be settled by the courts. These cases require careful preparation 

 and great difficulties have been experienced on account of the lack 

 of a proper survey, as many thousands of acres of land have been 

 purchased by the State without >any attempt at a survey, and we 

 have cases where no such land as described can be located on 

 found to exist. We have established a bureau of surveys, with 

 n plan whereby each survey as made will fit into a scheme of 

 surveys and field notes so that when complete there can be no 

 excuse for trespass upon the State's land and no question as to 

 the location of any parcel. 



An experienced title lawyer has been appointed specially to 

 prepare cases involving titles, to make abstracts and, as far as 

 possible, the titles abstracted will when completed set forth fully 

 and comprehensively the status of the State's title to lands in the' 

 two great parks. 



The codification of the forest law is doubly important at this 

 time when the water storage problem, whereby the waste waters 

 of the State can be converted into power, is of great moment 



