230 



THE FORESTER. 



October, 



In 1893 the number of the commission- 

 ers was increased to five, with additional 

 powers as to acquisition and lease of lands, 

 and especially the specific power, with 

 certain restrictions, "to sell the standing 

 spruce, tamarack and poplar timber, the 

 fallen timber, and the timber injured by 

 blight or fire." Another change was made 

 in 1895, when an amalgamation of fish- 

 eries and game interests with the forestry 

 interests was provided and the (five) Com- 

 missioners of Fisheries, Game and Forests 

 were installed. The realization that the 

 forest interests are decidedly more impor- 

 tant than the other two interests has, dur- 

 ing the last legislative session, led to the 

 change of name by which "forests" are 

 first mentioned in the title of the com- 

 mission. 



During the last session of the legislature 

 a change in the administrative machine 

 was also attempted ; namely to change 

 the five-headed commission to a single- 

 headed one. Theoretically, such a single- 

 headed administration may be commend- 

 able, provided a man of unusual adminis- 

 trative ability, broad-mindedness and ex- 

 perience is put in the place. With our 

 Democratic principles of government, 

 however, it would appear that wherever 

 public policy, not single will, is to be ad- 

 ministered, a judicious council represent- 

 ing varied interests would be more apt to 

 give satisfaction, provided that it relies 

 for executive work on expert advice and 

 assistance and on single responsibility of 

 its executive officers. In the end, the 

 question of the personnel of the commis- 

 sion rather than the number is the impor- 

 tant one, and still more important, the 

 organization under the commission and 

 the objects to be attained through that or- 

 ganization. 



The first object, naturally, must be pro- 

 tection of the property, and that means, 

 with forest property, mainly against the 

 dangers from fire. This is the first and 

 foremost administrative problem. The 

 only way to furnish that protection is by 

 proper organization of the fire service and 

 by reducing the causes of forest fires. 



It is not sufficient to have a system 

 of fire-wardens, as the law now provides, 



but the system must be kept in working 

 order and the means for putting out fires 

 that could not be prevented must be ready 

 at hand. Again, the personnel of the or- 

 ganization is of the first moment ; and even 

 when proper persons have been chosen as 

 fire-wardens, a constant inspection and 

 oversight only will keep them on the alert. 

 It must also be kept in mind that there are 

 mechanical limitations to performing the 

 duties of a fire-warden over too large a 

 territory ; hence the appointment of a suf- 

 ficient number of deputies, properly in- 

 structed and properly located during the 

 dangerous season, is necessary. Nor is it 

 sufficient to have these fire-wardens em- 

 ployed only to put out fires. In most 

 cases, a forest fire, when it has once 

 gained headway, will run its course, all 

 human efforts notwithstanding, until a 

 rain or swamp or watercourse stops its 

 spread. The fire-warden is usually too 

 late. During the dangerous season pa- 

 trols must be on the alert to prevent the 

 starting of fires or to extinguish small 

 fires in their incipiency. The cost of 

 such service will be argued against it and 

 this objection is valid until we have a 

 fully organized forestry service, in which 

 the fire-guards perform other necessary 

 duties and useful work besides the pa- 

 troling. 



There is one serious drawback in exist- 

 ing arrangements, which could be readily 

 improved. It is the manner of paying 

 for the service of fire fighting. At pres- 

 ent, when bills are audited and paid by 

 the town, the tedious delay of such pay- 

 ment is discouraging to the men who have 

 to wait for the hard-earned wages for 

 many months. Authority to make the 

 necessary outlay on the part of the com- 

 mission, for which the board may seek 

 reimbursement through the town, is the 

 ready remedy. 



While these administrative problems are 

 readily understood and their solution is not 

 difficult, the problems of technical man- 

 agement of the property are more difficult 

 to solve. What is to be done with the 

 forest owned and protected by the State? 

 What policy is to be followed in its treat- 

 ment and what methods are to be applied? 



