FIREWARDEN'S REPORT. 27 



increased and the effectiveness of both assured- this condition 

 is likely to be maintained. But New Jersey is not the only State 

 in which we meet this condition, for it is a general weakness 

 felt wherever there is a State forest fire organization. 



The actual ratio o>f this class to others is, nevertheless, on 

 the mend, for but 39 per cent, of the reported fires are so rated, 

 while 57 per cent, of the total came under it a year ago, 46 per 

 cent, in 1909, and 53 per cent, in 1908. A concrete gain has, 

 therefore, been made in eliminating uncertainty in our knowl- 

 edge of fire causes. 



Railroad Fires. 



Of the known agencies setting fires the railroads still lead as 

 offenders, being responsible for 38 per cent, of all the fires 

 reported. This, as was pointed out last year, is what may be 

 be quite properly expected, since the lack of control oi locomotive 

 fires is far less culpable than those from any other source. This 

 does not mean that there are no means of reducing the number 

 of railroad fires far below that now recorded, but sparks will fly 

 from locomotives until mechanical devices, not yet known, are 

 found to control their emission. Therefore, where proper care 

 is taken to use and keep in repair the best spark arresters avail- 

 able, the remedy must be sought upon the ground. 



Conditions vary greatly on the different roads and each must 

 be treated individually For instance, it seems to be established 

 that locomotives burning anthracite coal throw more live sparks 

 than those of equal power using the bituminous. This may 

 account in part for the great number of small fires set by the 

 Atlantic City Railroad. Conditions being such, the commission 

 sees no reason to change its attitude toward spark arresters, i. e,, 

 that it is wiser to hold the railroads responsible for results than 

 to prescribe the use of some mechanical contrivance. 



During 1911 there were 200 fires for which there is reasonable 

 evidence that a railroad was responsible. Of these 136 were 

 extinguished while of insignificant size, and of the 64 rated as 

 forest fires, only 17 burned as much as 100 acres. Thus, though 

 the record against the railroads is still bad, it shows unquestioned 



