knows that an engine must have a draught to make steam 

 and it is not likely that any mechanism which seriously inter- 

 feres with the working of the engine will be enforced there 

 are too many which do not. 



(2) To prevent the starting of fires from escaped sparks 

 all the companies agreed that it is necessary to clear the right 

 of way of all combustible material. Most of them are already 

 doing it to a certain extent, but agree that there is still more 

 to do. The cleanness of the right of way is of value not only 

 to prevent fires but as weighty evidence that the fire did not 

 originate with the railroad. This is of importance to the 

 company in protecting itself from the settler in the case of 

 fires it did not start. 



There was not such unanimity of opinion in regard to the 

 advisability of clearing any fire-break outside of the right of 

 way. The companies regard that as the duty of the adja- 

 cent landowners, but. are in some cases making these breaks 

 themselves to save damages. Three hundred feet from the 

 track on the prairie and one hundred and fifty feet in the for- 

 est is the rule. There are two sides to the question. The 

 settler should not be allowed to accumulate inflammable ma- 

 terial next to the right of way and then expect the railroad 

 to go to extra expense to protect it. On the other hand, 

 where there is no such wilful accumulation of debris the rail- 

 road is responsible for any fire which spreads from its 

 property. 



(3) To prevent the spread of fire from the right of way. 

 In this respect the companies seem to be unanimous in think- 

 ing that they are doing everything necessary. They wel- 

 comed anything in the way of suggestions for more effective 

 methods. Their section crews are all instructed to watch for 

 fires and put them out whether they started from the right 

 of way or not; their trainmen are all instructed to report 

 fires to the agents and section crews, or to stop and fight 

 them if necessary; nearly all of them have patrols in one 

 form or another; nearly all of them have some form of fire- 

 fighting equipment, such as tank cars and pumps on their 

 engines. And yet they admit that many of the fires get away 

 in spite of the great, army of men who are instructed to look 



