220 REPORT OF THE No. S 



A total of 49 round-houses and gravel pits were visited, and 1,563 loco- 

 motive inspections made, covering 758 locomotives. In addition to this 9 

 inspections of locomotives operated by lumber companies were made, bringing 

 the total number of inspections up to 1,572. The above table shows that the 

 number of inspections has increased each year, and the percentage of locomotives 

 found defective has steadily decreased from 32.1 per cent, in 1918 to 4.6 per 

 cent, in 1922. 



The average cost per inspection in 1922 was $1.61, as compared with $1.70 

 in 1921, $1.86 in 1920, and $2.07 in 1919. 



(8) Improvements. 

 The improvements carried out during the season consisted of the con- 

 struction of cabins, store houses, lookout towers, telephone lines, the cutting of 

 new and the cleaning out and improving of old roads and trails. Most of the 

 work was done by the rangers themselves. 



It is necessary each spring to clear all existing roads and trails of debris 

 which has accumulated during the winter months, and in a burned-over section 

 this is often an arduous task. It is, however, one of the first duties of the rangers 

 as a good rail is most necessary in transporting equipment in case of fire. Several 

 hundred miles of roads and trails are cleaned out each year and repaired where 

 necessary. Landing docks are built for boats and canoes, camping grounds 

 made in safe places, and signs put up directing travellers to these camp sites. 

 In some districts it is possible to assign rangers to permanent headquarters, 

 and here cabins are often built as they add to the comfort of the men and pro- 

 vide a safe place for the storage of equipment. Storehouses are also built 

 at the headquarters of the chief and deputy chief rangers for the storage of 

 emergency equipment during the fire season, and all field equipment during the 

 winter months. Where boats or motor cars are used it is necessary to build 

 shelters for them. There were built during 1922, 38 cabins, 3 storehouses, 1 

 car house, 1 boathouse, 2 oil houses for the storage of gasoline and oil, and 2 

 kitchens for cabins already constructed. 



The construction of lookout towers was continued and seventeen wooden and 

 eleven steel towers erected. The wooden towers were built almost entirely by 

 ranger labour, and are from twenty-five to eighty feet in height. The steel 

 towers are eighty feet in height, of much the same type as the ordinary windmill 

 tower, but are surmounted by an eight foot octagonal cabin fitted with windows 

 on all sides. The ranger, who is stationed in the cabin during the hazardous 

 part of the day, has an uninterrupted view of the surrounding country, and on 

 clear days has little difficulty in locating smoke twenty miles away. These 

 towers are connected by telephone lines to the deputy or chief ranger's head- 

 quarters, so that fires observed may be reported immediately. 



Telephone Lines. — Considerable progress was made in .the construction of 

 telephone lines during the season, a total of 1713^^ miles being completed. In- 

 cluded in this total were the following: — 



Gogama to Mattagami Post in Mattagami Township 18 miles 



Milnet to Frederick Lake in Stobie Township 28 



Chudleigh to Upper Goose Falls on the Sturgeon River in 



Sheppard Township 30 



Brule Lake to lookout tower in Osier Township with branch 



to lookout tower in Biggar Township. . •. 50)^ 



Whitney to south end Opeongo Lake in Sproule Township. 15 J^ 



Pakesley to lookout tower south of Key Junction 11 



Apsley to lookout tower in Methuen Township 7 



