The Forest Resources of the Labrador Peninsula. 37 



stretch of forest in a d.r\- season ? As a purely business proposition 

 it seems to me that the Province of Quebec can well afford to spend 

 $50,000 per year in keeping fire out of its magnificent coniferous 

 forests. Such an investment v.-ould prove to be the ver\- best 

 kind of insurance on a timber revenue, which is certain to increase 

 tenfold in the next fifty years — provided the province has the 

 goods to deliver. 



As a result of the visit of the representatives of the Canadian 

 Forestr)' Association to Sackville University, in the Province of 

 New Brunswick, in the early part of last year, a meeting of own- 

 ers of timber lands and others was held at Sack\ille, at which 

 steps were taken to request the Legislature of that province for 

 special legislation to protect the forests of the County of West- 

 moreland from fire. As a consequence a special Act relating to 

 that county was passed at the last session of the Legislature. 

 This Act provides that the Municipal Council may, on the request 

 of the holders of a majority of acres of forest lands, appoint a 

 Chief Forest Ranger for the county, whose duties shall be to en- 

 force the Fire Act, investigate fires, institute prosecutions, post 

 fire notices, and authority is given him to call out such assist- 

 ance as may be necessary- to fight fires that occur. Deputy 

 Rangers may also be appointed. The fund for payment of the 

 service called the "Forest Protection Fund," is to be provided 

 for by the fines collected for offences under the Act. and by a 

 special assessment on forest lands to cover such additional 

 amount as ma}^ be required. 



In addition to the restrictions of the general Fire Act of the 

 province, it is specially provided that fires near forest lands, ex- 

 cept for cooking or v.armth, shall not be allowed from the 15th 

 April to the 15th June and from the 1st September to the 15th 

 October, and from the 15th June to the 1st September only after 

 permission has been received from the Ranger. No portable or 

 other steam engine may be operated within twenty rods of any 

 forest from the 15th April to the 15th October without leave 

 from the Ranger, which may be granted with or without condi- 

 tions. Other special provisions are that ever\- male inhabitant 

 must notify the Ranger of any fire he notices; that there shall be 

 a presumption of negligence if railway companies cannot prove 

 their locomotives to be properly guarded ; that the fact of a per- 

 son trespassing or loitering or camping on land where fire starts 

 shall, in the absence of proof to the contrary, be evidence of guilt ; 

 that any person own ng land on which brush, &c., is burned be- 

 tween the 15th April and the 15th October is to be considered 

 responsible unless the contrar\' is proved. 



