28 REPORT OF THE FOREST COMMISSION. 



THE FIRE SERVICE'S VALUE. 



The value of forest protection to the future is the true measure 

 of its success, for forest development must deal with what is to 

 come. This standard is gradually taking hold but is still regretably 

 far from universal. However, in New Jersey this ultimate gain is 

 supplemented by yearly reduced annual property loss and fire fight- 

 ing cost to a degree that merits general support even from this 

 viewpoint alone. In 1911 the property loss for the year was esti- 

 mated at almost $87,000, despite a drop of over $40,000 from the 

 previous year, while in 1912 it will not exceed $21,500. In 1911 it cost 

 $6709.56 to put out forest fires, this year but $5300.49 was expended 

 in this way, to which must be added $984.58 paid for local wardens' 

 salaries. Offsetting this is $36,000 worth of property that is definite- 

 ly known to have been saved by the Fire Service, exclusive of all 

 forest land protected. The list includes homes, schoolhouses, cran- 

 berry bogs, orchards and crops and represents at best but a frag- 

 mentarv record of the true results achieved. 



VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW. 



The progress made in handling violations of the law maintains 

 the improvement found in other branches of the Fire Service work. 

 Though it is not sought to impose penalties for their sake alone, It 

 does mark an advance 'in the administration of the law when viola- 

 tions formerly overlooked or undiscovered, entail some penalty on 

 the offender. No law, unless enforced, can reach its fullest useful- 

 ness. Of the 545 fires reported in the year 252 are known to have 

 been violations of the law. Of this large number, nearly half have 

 been disposed 6f within the year and it is noticeable that in but 18 

 cases did circumstances later develop to require that action be with- 

 drawn. These cases are reported in detail in Table VII and the 

 year's work is summarized in Table VI. 



For the most part, the violations are unintentional, and for this 

 reason the penalties imposed are mostly light. When there are 

 specially extenuating circumstances they have been remitted en- 

 tirely. 



