1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 163 



the property of the public, citizens of the Province visiting them may 

 justly expect to find conditions in them reasonably comfortable for tra- 

 velling. The work already indicated, if properly carried out, would go 

 a long way towards effecting this, and at the same time would be acting 

 in tlie direction of preventing the risks of fire and facilitating the means 

 of coping with it should it occur. In addition to such work it would 

 seem that the rangers in a provincial forest reserve might also be re- 

 quired to clear and prepare a number of camping places at suitable 

 points and maintain the same in good order, ready for use by whomso- 

 ever chances to pass, for there is nothing that the casual visitor to the 

 forest, tired and weary after the unaccustomed exercise of a long day'a 

 canoeing and portaging, will appreciate more than to find a well-chosen 

 and clean camping ground awaiting his occupation, with the tent poles 

 all ready to hand and other facilities and conveniences perhaps also pro- 

 vided. Springs occurring along the portages and other paths likely to 

 be frequented should be cleaned, built around with some form of rough 

 guard, and furnished with a drinking vessel, and notices might well, also, 

 be put in conspicuous places, as is done in some of the reserves in the 

 United States, indicating the direction and distances of prepared camp- 

 ing grounds. In carrying out all these various tasks, not only would 

 the ranger be kept busily employed and in hard enough condition to cope 

 with any emergency that might arise, but in so doing he would, also, in- 

 evitably become more intimately acquainted with his beat, all of which 

 could not but tend to his increased efficiency. 



In all reserves it would seem that, whatever the dimensions of the 

 permanent staff, there should always at least be a superintendent living 

 on it all the year round, so that he may become well acquainted with 

 the whole of the district and the conditions prevailing in it and in the 

 surrounding country, and thus be in a position intelligently to direct the 

 work of his rangers, to take advantage of the natural features of the 

 locality in preventing the incursion of fire from outside or in dealing 

 with it should it occur inside, and to take measures to prevent trespasses 

 of every nature at all times of the year. All these matters plainly re- 

 quire study, preparation and knowledge of the district, and it is not to 

 be expected that men appointed for a few months of, perhaps, one year 

 only, should either have the inclination or the interest to delve deeply 

 into them. 



It would seem, also, that in those reserves where the tourist or other 

 traffic has already reached goodly proportions and where, in conse- 

 quence, the presence of the superintendent at headquarters is necessary 

 for prolonged periods, a chief ranger should be provided to act under the 

 orders of the superintendent, and to be continuously on the move to see 

 that the rangers are on their beats and conscientiously discharging their 

 duties. The need for supervision of the rangers is quite apparent, and it 

 is equally plain that over the great stretches of forest country which con- 

 stitute the reserves the time of one man svould be fully occupied in each 



