REPORT OF THE FOREST COMMISSION. 9 



VIOLATIONS OF LAW The Commission stands firmly by its pol- 

 icy of enforcing the law vigorously and impartially. In all 252 

 violations were established, these being forty-two per cent, of all 

 fires reported, little and big. Though most of these violations 

 were unintentional, penalties have been imposed in 105 cases; 

 33 of them being against individuals and 72 against railroads. One 

 hundred and twenty cases against railroads and nine cases against 

 individuals are still pending. Eighteen cases have been dropped 

 for lack of conclusive evidence. The sum 'of $1,312.19* was re- 

 covered as penalties, of which $1,115.49 was paid to the treasurers 

 of the townships concerned, the balance going to the State. 



FEDERAL CO-OPERATION Not the least important and valuable 

 aid that the fire service enjoys is that furnished by the United 

 States Government. The $2,000 allotted to this State from the ap- 

 propriation made by Congress to execute the "Weeks Law" made 

 it possible to maintain a patrol in North Jersey which extinguished 

 an average of eighteen fires a month during the spring and summe*. 

 In July thirty-five fires were put out. The order of the Postmaster 

 General by which 55,000 rural mail carriers are made auxiliary 

 firewardens in States having an organized fire service was orig- 

 inally proposed by the State Firewarden of New Jersey. The 

 rural carriers now serving as patrolmen in this State under that 

 order number about 300. 



PRIVATE FORESTRY. 



New Jersey is fortunate in having a large number of property 

 owners who want to improve their woodlands. Many are con- 

 cerned chiefly, or solely, with landscape effects, yet an increasing 

 number are considering the profit in timber growing. These the 

 Commission tries to help, upon the ground that a properly man- 

 aged forest is a public, benefit no matter who pays the taxes on it. 

 Thirteen such properties, having an area of 1,600 acres, have been 

 added this year to the total of those upon which forestry looking 

 to the utilization of one timber crop and the production of another 

 is practiced. 



On some of these properties as many as 40,000 young trees 

 were planted. The Commission is always ready to encourage and 

 aid such work, though so little land in the State needs to be planted 

 that it requires no emphasis. 



*See Foot Note, p. 27. 



