few and far between and it can be safely said that in Min- 

 nesota they have been particularly "few and far between." 



Why, then, don't they wake up to the fact that one of the 

 greatest problems in the state is that of forestry? It is easy 

 to ask this question. It is just as easy to answer it after a 

 little thought. The legislators do not "wake up" because the 

 people themselves have not fully realized what is needed. 



After the disastrous fires at Baudette and Spooner a few 

 years ago the people of Minnesota were thoroughly aroused. 

 They felt the need of more adequate forest protection. The 

 people, feeling this need, impressed it upon the minds of the 

 legislators and the result was that the Minnesota state forest 

 service was established. It took big fires, terrible loss of 

 human life, etc., to "wake up" the people. When the people 

 were awakened, the legislature "got busy." 



Whenever the people are awakened the legislature will 

 "get busy." The lawmakers are merely servants of the peo- 

 ple. Hew then can the people of Minnesota be "awakened" 

 so that action will follow? The answer is "Publicity." 



A Campaign of Education. 



Publicity means above all a campaign of education. A 

 campaign of education must be far reaching. It must be an 

 everlasting "pounding away" until the facts have sunk in 

 deep. 



Out on the Pacific coast the Western Forestry and Con- 

 servation Association has shown what a campaign of pub- 

 licity means. Every known method of educating the public 

 has been tried there, from the ordinary means of giving lec- 

 tures in schools to the pasting of stickers warning against 

 fires on match boxes. And the campaign has been effective. 

 The people in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, etc., know that 

 there is "something doing," that someone is spreading the 

 gospel of prevention. 



Many things are needed in Minnesota. For instance, the con- 

 stitutional amendment providing for the setting aside of non- 

 agricultural state lands for forestry purposes ought to be 

 passed. It never will be passed unless the people of the state 



