INCREASED efficiency in the state service and fire loss 

 reduction in the Northern Minnesota forests of 25 per 

 cent during 1913 are among the results of the aid given 

 to the state by the federal government, according to a report 

 prepared by State Forester William T. Cox and forwarded 

 to Washington January 1. 



The state received $10 ,000 from the federal forest service 

 for the protection of forests at the headwaters of navigable 

 streams. This is the maximum amount given to any state, 

 Washington, Oregon and Maine being the only others to re- 

 ceive this appropriation. The money is distributed under the 

 terms of the Weeks law. 



According to the report, the federal appropriation paid for 

 one-fourth of the cost of the forest patrol system during 1913. 

 As a result the money which would otherwise have been used 

 for this purpose from the state funds was used for mapping, 

 trail-making and the building of telephone lines and fire- 

 breaks. It was possible for the patrolmen to devote much of 

 their time to the work of improvement during the season 

 when the danger of fire was not great. 



500 Patrolmen Employed. 



During last year there were 193 state and 157 federal pa- 

 trolmen employed. In addition the railroads employed 126 

 patrolmen along their rights-of-way in the forest country, and 

 townships hired 27 men in fire protection work. 



The report says that the heaviest fire losses occurred dur- 

 ing April. The total loss for the year in Minnesota amounted 

 to $100,000, of which $90,000 was due to fire during the dry 

 period last spring. 



The people of Northern Minnesota have co-operated with 

 the service, due in a large degree to the presence of the 

 federal patrolmen, says Mr. Cox. He adds: 



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