34 Forest Fires and their Pkevextiox. 



Under this law tlie Federal Govenunent is empowered to co-operate 

 with the various States in the organization, direction, and extension of 

 a fire protective system, by putting in a sum of money equal to that 

 appropriated by the State for this purpose. It can, however, only 

 co-operate with States which have some form of State fire protection 

 already. Xortli Carolina has no such system, and though the Federal 

 officials have sliowed a strong desire to spend part of this money in this 

 State, nothing can be done to take advantage of this proffered co-opera- 

 tion until a regular State system of fire protection can be established. 

 Should the Legislature in 1913 pass a law like that suggested on pages 

 32-33, appropriating $10,000 for fire protection, an equal sum might, 

 under the Weeks law, be procured from the Federal Government, making 

 $20,000, with which a good start could be made towards the prevention 

 of forest fires in Xorth Carolina. 



Owners of forest land should make every effort to take advantage of 

 this great opportunity by seeing to it that men actively in favor of 

 forest protection are nominated aud elected to the next General As- 

 sembly. 



EDUCATIONAL MEASURES. 



The majority of our people have been raised where there was always 

 abundance of wood for fuel and for other local necessities, and Avhere 

 the selling of timber oft' the land has been looked upon as something 

 extra made over the ordinary income. Timber has never been rated at 

 its true value, namely, its cost value to grow, because there has been 

 abundance of timber ready grown to our hand. It is not strange then 

 that there is so much indifference to the growing necessity of fire pro- 

 tection. Economic conditions have been changing so rapidly of late 

 years that it is only those who are in close touch with the markets of 

 the country and w^ho are studying the progress of events that realize the 

 necessity for conservation of our forests. 



A campaign of education along these lines must be carried on all over 

 the State, not only to show the property owners themselves and the other 

 groAvn citizens that it is to their interest and that of their children to 

 protect and perpetuate the forests; but also and probably chiefly, to 

 educate the children, to bring them up to realize that a new condition 

 exists, and that the trees and the forests are really growing crops, and 

 very necessary and valuable crops, and that as such they require care 

 and attention as much as any farm crop. 



The children of today are the proi)erty owners and lawmakers of 

 tomorroAV, so while we do not cease to advocate forest protection 

 amongst the present-day citizens, let us at the same time train our 

 future citizens to appreciate its necessity. 



