6 ANNUAL REPORT OF 



The law of the last legislature requiring the State to 

 pay for the services of fire wardens and their helpers in 

 preventing and extinguishing fires on the approval of this 

 office and collecting half the amount from the counties in 

 which the service was rendered, promises to be an im- 

 provement. The pay is small it is true; but there are 

 some things which in an emergency a citizen owes to his 

 town and country. Regulations provide that services for 

 fighting fire shall not be paid unless the fire be duly re- 

 ported by the fire warden at the time it occurs. I believe 

 also the rule will work well which requires payment of such 

 claims to be deferred until the end of the season. If a 

 man works half a day in fighting fire he is entitled to 

 seventy-five cents; and as he is liable to be called upon 

 at different times through the season, it seems prefer- 

 able that he should wait and be paid for the whole 

 amount in one warrant rather than that the State should 

 have to issue a warrant for each item. There are excep- 

 tions to all rules, and if a party is leaving the State or if 

 there are other good reasons, he can be paid without 

 delay. Accounts must state not only the date but the 

 kind of service rendered whether for posting notices, 

 patrolling or for fighting fire. Correct accounts that have 

 been sent in at the end of the season have been paid and 

 State warrants sent to the respective parties without a 

 day's delay, and I have to thank the State Auditor's 

 office for its promptitude in issuing these warrants. 



