60 REPORT OF THE FOREST COMMISSION. 



be open to question, but it is at least an open question. That such 

 attention to road conditions is sane insurance to abutting wood- 

 land, for both fire prevention and control, does not admit of 

 argument. The success that has attended the construction of 

 railroad fire lines as fire deterrents (see below) leaves no doubt 

 that time and money spent in similar improvements of our road- 

 sides would materially reduce the area burned in our woodlands. 



RAILROAD FIRE LINKS. 



What is commonly called the Railroad Fire Line Law, Chapter 

 74, Laws of 1909, is still in the courts, the suit by James Vree- 

 land restraining the Erie Railroad Company and the Fbrest 

 Commission from enforcing it being still undecided. 



Though this state of uncertainty is deplorable, the situation 

 has elements of encouragement, chief among them being the 

 voluntary extension of their fire lines by the New Jersey Centra' 

 Railroad, by the Atlantic City Railroad, and, to a limited extent, 

 by the Pennsylvania Railroad. If the law had been enforced 

 more or less as a compulsory measure some of the advantages 

 of this voluntary execution would have been lost. 



With respect to the effectiveness of the fire lines the fre- 

 wardens' reports have but one tale to tell ; namely, that wherever 

 they have been established serious forest fires have not occurred, 

 while outside the lines some bad ones have begun. Though it 

 has never been claimed that a fire line of this character vould 

 automatically prevent any fire beyond it, it is significan that 

 the record of the year shows only one fire which jumped the 

 safety belt and got into the adjoining woodland. Fotr fires 

 were started beyond the fire lines by sparks thrown entirely 

 across them, so> that to this extent the lines were of n> value; 

 though, as the consequent fires were all extinguishel before 

 they became serious, it is reasonable to conclude that the lines 

 are practically effective at their present width. A futher value 

 in the measure is found in the action of practically jil the rail- 

 roads in the State regarding the cleaning of their rignts of way. 

 All the South Jersey roads at least are more scrupilous in this 



