58 REPORT OF THE FOREST COMMISSION. 



appreciated the significance of the movement nor accepted the 

 responsibilities of their position have taken a new grip. Also, 

 where often heretofore the incumbent has been urged io a 

 reluctant acceptance of the wardenship, vacancies may now be 

 filled from several candidates. Alert and effective attention to 

 fires has marked the season's record and a note that "quick 

 work and hard fighting enabled us to put the fire out without 

 much damage" still commands the same appreciation but less 

 remark than in the past. Not the least satisfactory and useful 

 feature of this year's gain, however, is the increased thorough- 

 ness in preparing and promptness in submitting reports by the 

 firewardens, which renders it possible to take up an investiga- 

 tion before the matter has grown old. The items are not all on 

 this side of the account, however, and the work of weeding out 

 and stimulating is far from complete. In a number of cases 

 incompetence or inactivity has caused a warden to be put on 

 probation. For actual malfeasance removals are exceptional but 

 were necessary in two cases. 



During the year the fire service has been installed in eight new 

 townships as follows : Absecon City, Berlin, Bernard, Bridge- 

 water, Middletown, North Plainfield, Shrewsbury and Warren, 

 and with the beginning of the new calendar year wardens will 

 probably be appointed in eight more. On the other hand, wardens 

 have been discontinued in Harrington township, Bergen county, 

 because the forest exposure there has been so broken that they 

 are not needed. There is no antagonism among the people. 



An effort has also been made to find means of supporting 

 wardens in the few townships that have refused to make their 

 own appointments despite a requisition by the Commission. 

 Although a pacific adjustment of these differences is always 

 sought, it is apparent that strong measures will have to be 

 resorted to. 



The Commission is now prepared to make the fire service 

 effective in every part of the State where it is needed. 



