punish those who by carelessness or intent start fires 

 or permit their spread. 



There should be incorporated in the forest laws of 

 every State requirements to bring all forest owners 

 into the protective system, and to extend it to all 

 cut-over and unimproved lands in the State, together 

 with the disposal, by lopping or burning, of danger- 

 ous slashings and other special measures that the 

 local conditions may require. 



There should be provided by the State the adminis- 

 trative machinery necessary to carry out the work 

 effectively. 



The public should share in the burden of protec- 

 tion. The division of cost will necessarily vary in 

 different States, as is now the case among those 

 States which have inaugurated such a system. The 

 public may properly bear the cost of the State-wide 

 patrol system, including overhead, inspection, look- 

 outs, and similar items, and a portion of the fire 

 suppression costs. 



In general, the cost of the preventive system should 

 be shared about equally between the public and the 

 owner of the land. At the present time assistance 

 by the States and the efforts of the private owners 

 alike are inadequate. Measures like brush disposal 

 are essentially a part of the logging operation and 

 should be a charge against it. 



The Federal Government should grant liberal aid 

 in fire protection, far greater than at present. Its 

 aid should be contingent on the State's inaugurating 

 and carrying out such a system as above described. 

 This financial help should not exceed in amount that 

 appropriated by the State. 



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