guilty parties as night was the favorite .'time" i< SMI! 

 operations. 



The advent of railways was another source of great 

 danger although legislation was enacted compelling 

 the companies to place spark arresters in the smoke 

 stacks of all locomotives. This was honoured in the 

 breach more than the observance for some time, and it 

 was difficult for the police to secure conviction when 

 fires started from the right-of-way as appeal was in- 

 variably made from the judgment of local officers and 

 carried to the high courts where the companies en- 

 gaged the highest local talent, while in the case of a 

 tramp, traveler, settler or other privaitie offender, it was 

 rarely that collection of fines or imprisonment failed 

 to follow conviction. 



The mere presence of a mounted policeman in uni- 

 form in a settlement was not only a deterrent to would- 

 be fire setters, but in all law breaking, as it was a well 

 established fact that no pains would be spared to trace 

 up and bring guilty parties to justice. Many wonder- 

 ful experiences have been met with by members of the 

 force in prosecution of their duties. 



In my own experience as an agent of Dominion 

 lands and in charge of the departmental timber over 

 a large area, I may say that the services of the police 

 were most helpful as in a number of instances the 

 regularly appointed crown timber inspectors were po- 

 litical appointees and were naturally more or less under 

 the influence of their member. In the case of a seizure 

 of timber cut in trespass, or of cutting without a per- 

 mit, the offending party would seek protection from 

 his political friends which resulted in many instances 



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