"To prevent fire and its ravages is cheaper than to fight 

 it" is a truth no one denies. The rangers correctly advise 

 that the cheapest, most effective method of spending the 

 "Fire Fund" is to devote all or as much of it as may be nec- 

 essary to hiring a competent local patrolman. This man, a 

 resident, should be reliable in every respect, one who will 

 do his work carefully, devote his whole time to it, and who 

 will spend the town's money wisely. His beat will be the 

 township, his work the prevention and control of fire therein. 

 In order that he may work with authority and to the best 

 good of the town it would be advisable for him to work with 

 the State Service under the direction of the local ranger. 

 He could then be given an official appointment by the State 

 Forester, which would permit him under the law to act with 

 authority and with the backing of the state in enforcing 

 proper disposal of slash, in making arrests if necessary, in 

 summoning aid to fight fire, and in carrying out the provi- 

 sions of the law generally. 



The benefit resulting to your town from taking this action 

 will be evident to you. Miscreants, who in a larger beat 

 would have a good opportunity to set fires for revenge or 

 other reasons and escape detection, would not be so daring 

 because of the constant presence of a patrolman in a small 

 area. Brush burning will be under closer supervision, and 

 fires not nearly so liable to originate therefrom through care- 

 lessness. Fires starting from any cause will be more easily 

 extinguished while small, with a consequent saving to prop- 

 erty owners and to the township, because a township patrol- 

 man will at no time be very far from any given spot in his 

 beat: 



This step is of the utmost importance. I hope that you 

 will exert your influence towards the authorization of the 

 levy at your 1912 spring election. If the people adopt the 

 above suggestion they will at a small cost make their town a 

 better, because a safer, place to live. 



December 9, 1911. 



WM, T. COX, 



State Forester, 



St. Paul. 



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