156 KEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52 



continue to be the ease, it is not to be expected that a high percentage 

 of them will have much knowledge of Are fighting, woodcraft or canoe 

 handling, so that, although if the regulations are stringent, the system 

 of supervision improved and better organized and their duties thor- 

 oughly explained to them, doubtless the majority of these men could be 

 counted on to use their best endeavors faithfully to discharge their re- 

 sponsibilities, there would still remain great areas of forest under the 

 care of men so inexperienced as to render their work of but small value. 

 The fires, as a rule, are not to be expected during the early weeks of the 

 fire ranging season, so that these inexperienced men have some oppor- 

 tunity of becoming used to their surroundings, but it is none the less an 

 indisputable fact that it takes more than a few Aveeks, even than a few 

 months, to initiate a novice into the mysteries of woodcraft and canoe 

 handling and to transform him into an efficient ranger. If a permanent 

 forestry corps was established, as previously suggested, the breaking in 

 of novices to the work would be greatly facilitated and much of the dan- 

 gers from incompetency and inexperience largely eliminated, but even 

 under the present system it should be possible to take some measures to 

 bring about these results. 



The rangers, as a rule, work in pairs and there are, in all probabil- 

 ity, always available a sufficiency of applicants for the posts to furnish 

 fifty per cent, of the required number who not only have had consider- 

 able experience in the woods, but have actually discharged the duties of 

 fire ranger on some previous occasion. If a register were kept of the 

 names of men who have filled these positions, with a record of their 

 qualifications and of the way their duties had been discharged, it would 

 seem that in all cases it should be possible to have one, at least, of a pair 

 of rangers experienced and efficient, and if it were so ordered that this 

 man was given authority to arrange for the discharge of the duties of 

 the post by the pair and made responsible for it, there can be little doubt 

 that material benefit would accrue. It miglit, perhaps, be necessary to 

 distinguish between experienced and inexperienced men in the matter of 

 pay, and, in fact, some such steps would appear not only reasonable but 

 fair, but at all events the inauguration of such a system would at least 

 have the merits of preventing two young and inexperienced students 

 being placed together on a beat to while away tlie time in unprofitable 

 idleness, and of more or less preventing the chumming of two experi- 

 enced but lazy lumber-jacks on some beat as a means of passing the 

 summer months. The responsibilities of the posts are serious, and, 

 although undoubtedly the pleasure of tlie outing would be spoiled to 

 many if they were unable to select their partner or be assured that he 

 would, at least, be of the same station in life as themselves, the matter 

 is altogether too grave to allow of such trifling considerations carrying 

 any weight. Indeed, fire ranging is and should be regarded as a business 

 undertaking, and the fact that this is the view of the Department on the 

 subject should be most clearly impressed not only on the superinten- 



