1919-20 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS AND MINES. 



lor 



indicates that amendments in two directions are desirable. In some instances 

 this summer it was found that local labour could not be engaged to fight fire no 

 matter what wage was offered, and such cases should be provided for in the Act 

 by a compulsory clause. Most modern forest fire legislation contains such a pro- 

 vision. A further amendment is needed to cover deliberate defiance of the Permit 

 Regulations. At present infringements can be punished by a fine only, and this 

 becomes merely nominal, in fact cheap land clearing, under certain conditions. 

 Accordingly the power of imprisonment should exist in the Act to st-rve as suffi- 

 cient deterrent. 



(2) Organization and Personnel. 



For administrative purposes the forest region of Ontario i& divided into four 

 inspectorates, as follows: 



(1) Western Inspectorate — Rainy River, Kenora, Thunder Bay. 



(2) Northern Inspectorate — Timiskaming (exclusive of Timagami), Clay Belt 

 area in northern Algoma. 



(3) Central Inspectorate — Algoma, Sudbury, eastern Timagami, northern 

 Nipissing. 



(4) Southern Inspectorate — South of French and Mattawa Rivers. 



The above territory was handled as 30 ranger districts with a field force 

 composed of: 1 Superintendent, 4 Inspectors, 30 Chief Rangers, 49 Deputy Chief 

 Rangers, 1,014 Rangers (during peak of season). 



The fire season opened late, the weather being comparatively wet, so that 

 men went on duty slowly. In April, a small force was engaged in getting equip- 

 ment ready and the work as a whole organized. On May 1, there were 152 on the 

 pay lists, and this number was slowly increased so that by the middle of May 

 one-half of the staff were on duty, and by the end of the month the force numbered 

 900. This represented a considerable saving as compared with May of last year. 

 During the critical months of June, July, and August the staff averaged 1,014 men 

 daily. With September the weather once more became favourable, and the field 

 force was gradually reduced, being down to half strength by the 18th, and number- 

 ing 126 by September 30. A small number was kept on at work into October to 

 overhaul and store equipment. 



The average daily force was: During April, 26; May, 548; June, 1,007; 

 July, 1,025; August, 1,009; September, 611; October, 29. The total number 

 of persons employed for at least a part of the season was 1,338; of these, 276 

 resigned after a time, and 51 were dismissed for various reasons. 



The expenditure for the fiscal year was as follows, the figures for 1918 

 (rounded off) being given for comparison. 



CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENDITURE, 1919 



1919 



1918 



1919 



1918 



I $ c. 



Pay roll 405,212 30 



Equipment 22,899 02 



Expendable property... 13,903 06 

 Travel (Inspection). . . . 15,826 37 

 Improvement work i 4, 765 35 



$ c. 



416,500 00 



28,350 00 



10.700 00 



13,440 00 



4,280 00 



Extra fire fighting . . . 

 Express, postage, etc. 

 Miscellany 



Total. 



$ c. 



53,863 92 



5,646 47 



5.955 02 



$ c. 

 1,445 00 

 5,365 00 



528,071 51 



480,080 00 



