1914-15 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS AND MINES. 89 



trolling them. Our Inspectors are instructed to keep a record of these outside 

 fires so that they cannot be confused with fire originating within the railway zone. 



Two serious problems confront us in the development of this work, namely: — 



The lack of control of settlers' fires. 



The condition of the territory adjacent to the railway right-of-way. 



The Board of Railway Commissioners is insisting upon the railways cleaning 

 the right-of-way of all inflammable material, yet in many districts fire traps 

 exist in close proximity to the boundary. Some effort should be made to compel 

 adjacent owners to assist in cleaning a protective belt outside the right-of-way. 

 No matter how clean a right-of-way may be kept it will be a physical impossibility 

 to prevent forest fires when fire hazards exist just outside the railway right-of-way. 



In many cases small right-of-way fires could be reached and put out in 

 time if it were not for the fire hazards adjoining the right-of-way. 



We recognize that the past season was not an extremely bad fire season, 

 owing to the large amount of rainfall. However, with the perfecting of railway 

 fire protective organizations, forest fire loss, such as existed in years past, should 

 be largely eliminated. 



Respectfully submitted, 



E. J. Zavitz, 



«• 



Forester, 

 Minister of Lands, Forests and Mines. 

 Ontario. 



