RURAL MAIL PATROL 533 



established with the Boston & Maine A movement towards the protection 



Railroad during the year, leading to the of forests from over taxation has been 



appointment of Mr. E. A. Ryder at the started at the recent convention to 



head of a Fire Claims Department, and amend the constitution of New Hamp- 



an agreement with the State Commis- shire, and a bill passed to amend the 



sion that if the crew section bosses in any equal and proportionate assessment of 



towns are appointed State Deputy Fire all property for the purpose of taxation 



Wardens, the railroad will take charge and to allow a special classification of 



of all fires originating from their right- timberland. This will enable the com- 



of-way, and reimburse the towns in ing Legislature to act if it is so dis- 



which said fire occurs for all expense posed to do. The various methods 



incurred in extinguishing the same, under which this could be done will be 



Also that all section crews will be in- discussed at a special meeting Friday 



structed and equipped to handle fires morning at the Mt. Pleasant Hotel, 



occurring in their section ; that all sta- The Commission regrets that it was 



tion agents will be instructed to post not possible for the party to go by 



notices within stations and to actively the way of Boscowen where the 



assist in spreading alarm and securing State has now some three hundred 



aid and assistance in the case of fires, thousand transplants of White, Red 



occuring on each side of their station; and Scotch Pine, Norway Spruce, 



that fire signals from engines will be Balsam Fir, Red Oak, Chestnut and 



sounded, and that a commencement will Basswood under cultivation preparatory 



be made towards cleaning up the slash to selling them during the coming sea- 



and ditching outside of the right-of- son. The nursery distributed two hun- 



way in dangerous places. Legislation dred thousand trees during the past 



calling for the permission and assistance year, principally for planting on farms, 



of adjacent land owners in this most On the run to-morrow to Bretton 



important work should be passed at the Woods a few of the reservations spoken 



next Legislature. Two large mogul oil of above can be seen by the party, and 



burning engines have been installed on some of the mountains on which lookout 



the Maine Central Railroad to run up stations have been established, and the 



the heavy grade through the Crawford Commission joins with the Association 



Notch, and it is particularly desired that in hoping that the weather, the road and 



this installation be extended to other the automobiles for the run be equally 



branch roads throughout the State. settled and propitious for your pleasure. 



*An address delivered at North Woodstock, July 17, at the Fifth Annual Forest Con- 

 ference. 



RURAL MAIL PATROL 



BY J. G. PETERS, Forest Service 



the co-operation of forest officers who have requested as- 



the Post Office Department a sistance of this kind may receive it. 

 special order has been issued to The plan is for the carrier to report 



postmasters in practically all the Na- a fire to the nearest forest officer on his 



tional Forests and in the States which route; or, if no officer lives on the 



have established fire protective systems route, to have him noticed by some re- 



to instruct rural mail carriers to report sponsible citizen. The State Foresters 



forest fires. For several years in some and National District Foresters are sup- 



of the National Forests there has been plied with post maps showing the routes 



informal co-operation of this nature be- traversed and with Postal Guides con- 



tween the rangers and mail carriers, and taining the addresses of the different 



its effectiveness in securing increased postmasters, who are, in turn, supplied 



protection has been clearly demon- by the Foresters with the names, ad- 



strated. Now, all national and State dresses, and telephone call numbers of 



