54 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Those who have never seen a lumber 

 camp have yet had vividly impressed 

 upon them by graphic stories the hard- 

 ships to which the log drivers are ex- 

 posed, the great personal danger to the 

 river drivers in the excitement of free- 

 ing jammed logs, when a single slip 

 may mean the crushing out of life be- 

 tween the heavy logs or drowning in 

 the water below them. Nor does the 

 danger end with the logging, for the 

 saw-mills, with their powerful and 

 sharp-edged machinery, add their quota 

 to the number of yearly accidents. 



Recognizing, as we must, the hazards, 

 dangers and accidents in the lumber in- 

 dustry, our desire is naturally aroused 

 to do something in the way of preven- 

 tion and in extending to the lumbermen 

 the knowledge of first aid. 



I note in the Washington law for 

 workmen's compensation, which is a 

 sort of State insurance, the employers 

 of labor paying the premium, that if 

 statistics show an undue number of ac- 

 cidents among the employes of any 

 given company because of poor or care- 

 less management, the rate charged that 

 company is increased. It seems to me 

 this law should also be made to work 

 the other way, so that any company 

 making a good showing in the way of 

 fewer accidents than may be taken for 

 the normal number, should have its 

 rates corrrespondingly reduced. Even 

 if this is not done, the less that has to 

 be paid out in compensation by the 

 State will have a tendency to reduce the 

 general rates paid by the companies. 



The Red Cross will gladly cooperate 

 with the Bureau of Forestry and the 

 lumber companies in arranging for first 

 aid instructions. Conditions in lumber 

 camps differ greatly from those in 

 mines, railroads and other industrial 

 plants. There can rarely be physicians 

 resident in such close proximity to lum- 

 ber camps that their services for in- 

 struction can be easily made available. 

 For this reason, it would be advisable 

 to secure the entire time of a certain 

 number of doctors for this purpose. 

 To make an experiment and we learn 

 best by experience-- the Red Cross 

 makes this proposal : Towards a fund 



of $3,000 it will contribute $500, if a 

 number of lumber companies in a givew 

 locality will club together to raise the 

 additional $2,500, each contributing ac- 

 cording to the number of their respec- 

 tive camps and employes. This fund 

 will provide for the salary and expenses 

 of a physician specially trained by the 

 Red Cross for instruction to men en- 

 gaged in the lumber industry both for 

 the prevention of accidents and first aid 

 to the injured. In connection with log- 

 ging camps, there should be added cer- 

 tain simple but important instructions 

 in camp sanitation for the benefit of 

 the general health of all the men. 



Such a doctor devoting his entire time 

 to this work would travel from camp to 

 camp. In cases of remote camps, he 

 would stay long enough to give the men 

 daily instruction for a short time. In 

 cases where a number of camps could 

 be reached more easily from one place, 

 he would arrange to give one or two 

 lessons a week at each camp. The 

 classes are formed from volunteers who 

 are given practical training. The men 

 soon realize the importance of such 

 knowledge and are anxious to learn. 

 Even those who gather about as spec- 

 tators pick up not a little useful infor- 

 mation. Each camp should be supplied 

 with first aid outfits suitable to the needs 

 of logging accidents, and these the men 

 taught how to use. This is naturally 

 but a tentative plan, with many details 

 to be worked out ; but may I commend 

 it to the consideration of those inter- 

 ested in the lumber industry and sug- 

 gest that they appoint a committee or 

 representative to confer with the first 

 aid department of the Red Cross upon 

 this matter. 



Again I am tempted to quote from 

 Major Griggs' able address. He said: 



"Logging is a hazardous life at the 

 very best and calls for strong, dare- 

 devil men and men who are willing to 

 take chances. Danger is always pres- 

 ent and men become so used to it that 

 they get careless. This, however, is no 

 excuse for needless loss of life and 

 limb." 



He commends : "the benefit of co- 

 operative effort in conserving" human 



