CHIEF FIRE WARDEN. 47 



as the fire ranger or rangers may deem proper. The fire 

 rangers shall perform such other duties and receive such 

 wages as may be provided by regulations to be made 

 under the Act by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. 



By order in Council the government can appoint a 

 ranger as magistrate, if competent, and he is able to 

 appoint his assistant a constable to assist in arresting and 

 bringing to justice people who violate the Act. The On- 

 tario system appears to give good satisfaction. In 1886 

 the number of rangers employed was 45 and the cost 

 $9, 847, half of which was borne by the licensees. The 

 service grew so that in 1902 the number of rangers was 

 234 and the government's part of the expense was 

 $34,200. Forty fires were reported that year and 

 10,000,000 feet of pine were damaged, the estimated loss 

 being $10,000. In 1903 the government's part of the ex- 

 pense was $31,257. The number of rangers employed 

 was 270 May i to September 30 of whom 244 were 

 employed on licensed lands, the licensees (timber cutters) 

 paying half the expense. 



There is another law in Ontario by which on the peti- 

 tion of one-third of the ratepayers a town may appoint 

 not less than two fire guardians to prevent and extinguish 

 fires set on land. 



MINNESOTA. 



It will be seen from the foregoing that there was im- 

 portant legislation in several states in 1903 for the pre- 

 vention and extinguishment of forest fires. The effect of 

 such legislation will be watched with interest. The 

 system in Ontario appears to be one of the most liberally 

 sustained of any. I think the criticism which an experi- 

 enced legislator would make of some of the systems would 

 be their failure to sufficiently provide for the payment of 

 fire warden service. It has been my impression that 

 towns would not have money in their treasury for the 



