cent disastrous forest fire which we have just experi- 

 enced. At this time I wish to emphasize that owing 

 to the rapidly increasing settlement of the timber sec- 

 tion of the state, the danger from forest fires in the 

 future is greater than it has been in the past and that 

 unless permanent and adequate measures for preven- 

 tion are taken we can expect a greater holocaust than 

 occurred at Moose Lake and Cloquet. How long will 

 it be before the State of Minnesota will realize her 

 negligence and properly safeguard the interests of the 

 citizens of Minnesota? The revenue which the State 

 of Minnesota has received from the timbered portion 

 of the State up to July 31st, 1918, amounts to $39,941,- 

 819.68, a distribution of the revenue being as follows: 



Sales of land, right of way, etc $22,513,451.72 



Pine, cedar, spruce and tamarack 



timber 10,197,894.90 



Royalty on iron ore 6,867,983.12 



Profit on sale of bonds 362,489.94 



$39,941,819.68 



With a revenue of upwards of two million dollars a 

 year which the State alone receives from the timbered 

 portion of its territory it seems to me a part of busi- 

 ness prudence on the part of the State and its citizens 

 to properly safeguard this great area from fire. 



REMEDY 



In 1910 the matter of the protection from forest fires 

 was urged upon the State by this Association, and as 

 a result, a State forester was appointed and the wooded 

 part of the State divided into forest ranger districts in 



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