I would, therefore, most respectfully submit for your consideration 

 that the Act of June 15, 1870, be amended: First, to compel the com- 

 missioners of the various counties to appoint detectives, as specified 

 already in the act; and second, to place half of the cost of the ser- 

 vices upon the State.* 



Nothing more inequitable appears upon our statute books than 

 the law as it now stands. The benefits of continuous, even water- 

 How, guarding against freshets on the one hand and low water on 

 the other, accrue to the entire community. The most potent factor 

 in ensuring this- desirable condition is the forest cover upon the head- 

 waters of the streams. The counties with the largest areas of 

 timber, or even brush land, are those most active in guarding the 

 water flow of the State, but they also have the smallest population. 

 For the State's good they are, as the law now is, compelled to pro- 

 tect the largest areas, to pay out the most for the common good, ( 

 while on the one hand they have the smallest income by tax, and on 

 the other they receive the least from the State for the service ren- 

 dered. The counties with the largest revenues would never feel 

 the drain upon them in protecting their forest areas, while a similar 

 service would keep Pike or Forest counties in a condition of bank- 

 ruptcy. 



It is now well understood that the actual loss to the State each* 

 year from forest fires is enormous (greatly exceeding any cost of pro- 

 tection), but the destruction of young timber, of leaf mould and of 

 good soil from the same cause is, if possible, a vastly greater 

 calamity. In short, it is so great that it is no mere figure of speech 

 to say it threatens the continued prosperity of the Commonwealth* 

 In the present state of public information upon this important topioi 

 it would seem to be the duty of the State to keep continually before 

 its citizens the fact that forest fires are a public foe. To this end, 

 I would respectfully suggest that constables be required by law to 

 r. port at each court of quarter sessions the number of fires within 

 their districts, the season at which they occurred, the causes thereof, 

 the damage done, and the measures taken to apprehend those who) 

 caused theirt, the said report to be made in duplicate upon blanks 

 furnished by the Commissioner of Forestry, and that one copy be re- 

 tained by the court and the other be forwarded promptly by 

 mail to the Commissioner of Forestry, and that the constables be paid 

 jointly by the counties and the Commonwealth for the service.f 



In this connection, it might be well to call attention to the fact 

 that in some instances it was found to be impossible to obtain frorni 

 county officials information, which it was not less for the good of 

 the county than of the Commonwealth, should be published. With 



* Act of July 15, 1897, amends act as suggested. 



t Act of March 30. 1897. make constables ex-offlcio fire wardens. 



