No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 289 



Railroad Co-operation in Forest-fire Fighting. 



During the past season there have been many evidences of 

 co-operative assistance on behalf of the raih'oads with the State 

 Forester and the forest wardens in preventing and fighting 

 forest fires. Invariably when assistance has been asked from the 

 main ofiice of the railroads or the local section men, it has been 

 furnished. In one instance of a fire which had not been set by 

 the railroad, a forest warden reported that twenty-five men in 

 the employ of the railroad came to his assistance without making 

 any charge to the town for their services. 



There were many instances where engines were reported as 

 evidently having inefficient spark-arresters, and hence they were 

 throwing out cinders and setting fires ; but it is believed that in 

 each case they were overhauled and improved. 



Certainly there is already a great difference in the feeling of 

 our rural people towards the railroads ; and this is equally true, 

 we are inclined to believe, of the railroad people as regards the 

 protection of our woodlands and forests. 



When the State Forester came to Massachusetts, in 1906, it 

 was the consensus of opinion that the railroads were the great 

 offenders in burning up our forests. If there was a railroad in 

 the vicinity of the fire, it was always held responsible. Since 

 our forest warden and permit laws were enacted, and we have 

 been enabled to get at the real causes of forest fires, it is plainly 

 shown that there are many causes for forest fires other than the 

 railroads. The railroad fires, however, are still very numerous, 

 and there are great opportunities for improvement ; but let our 

 forest wardens in each town co-operate and work harmoniously 

 with all forces toward getting better results in checking and elim- 

 inating forest fires. All we desire is to get the exact facts, and 

 then we shall be in a position to better the conditions. 



The railroad officials are business men, and can be convinced 

 of their duties as readily as any class of people. Instead of a 

 forest warden finding fault and getting disgusted over railroad 

 fires, the thing to do is to get direct proof and evidence, by hav- 

 ing the number of the engine, the time of day, the date, etc., and 

 then taking it up with the proper authorities. One warden has 

 succeeded in getting the railroad people to keep some barrels 



