REPORT OF THE FOREST COMMISSION. 13 



larger proportion of these fires were put out before any 

 appreciable damage was done than is found in any other class. 

 This can mean only that the policy of the Commission of work- 

 ing with the railroad managers rather than against them, is pro- 

 ducing results. 



One of the most important of these results is that most, if 

 not all, of the roads are making more careful inspections of 

 motive power, giving and enforcing stricter orders' to trainmen 

 and section men, clearing their rights-of-way better, and in 

 various ways evidencing a, willingness to support the local fire 

 service. In the conviction that no mechanical device now known 

 will entirely prevent the discharge of sparks from the stack of a 

 coal-burning locomotive operating under the requirements of 

 modern traffic, but that the setting of some fires is unavoidable, 

 the Forest Commission assumes that ordinarily a fire of this kind 

 is an accident and calls for no penalty other than the payment of 

 the cost of extinguishing it. Without exception the railroads 

 have accepted this and pay without question all bills contracted 

 in extinguishing fires that are shown with reasonable certainty to 

 have been set from their trains. During the year 183 cases, 

 involving $1,346.23, were settled in this way. That much of the 

 interest shown is inspired by a desire to lessen the claims for 

 damages made against the railroads may be admitted. It works 

 none the less to the advantage of the forests. 



UNES. 



Unfortunately the "Act for the Protection of Woodlands/' 

 commonly called the fire line law, enacted in 1909, is still before 

 the courts in such a way that the Commission has held it wise 

 to refrain from making any attempt to compel the railroads to 

 construct or to maintain fire lines. The statute has nevertheless 

 been observed in an effective way through the joint voluntary 

 action of several of the larger railroads and adjoining property 

 owners with the Forest Commission. There have thus been made 

 82 miles of fire lines, which with the 153 miles constructed in 

 1910 gives a total of 235 miles now helping to guard the wood- 



