962 



Canadian Forestry Journal, February, 1917 



Developing Flan to Oust Patronage 



Dr. Adam Shortt, Civil Service 

 Commissioner, has returned to Otta- 

 wa from British Columbia whither, 

 he went at the request of the newly- 

 formed provincial government to af- 

 ford the ministers the benefit of his 

 knowledge and experience in matters 

 of civil service organization. The 

 trip was taken at the special invita- 

 tion and urgent request of Premier 

 Brewster and with the consent of 

 the Dominion government. 



Not only did Dr. Shortt consult 

 with Hon. Mr. Brewster but he at- 

 tended meetings at which all the 

 ministers were present that he might 

 get from them a knowledge of the 

 local conditions as affecting the sev- 

 eral departments. On the basis of 

 this knowledge he drafted a bill which, 



it is expected, will be introduced 

 in the Legislature at the forthcom- 

 ing session. Two main features of 

 this measure may be mentioned. 

 The first is that the distinction be- 

 tween the inside and outsidr services 

 will be done away with and the one 

 proposed law will cover both. The 

 second is that there will be one Civil 

 Service Commissioner whose tenure 

 of office will be unaffected by poli- 

 tical party changes and who will be 

 given wide powers in the administra- 

 tion of the system. Appointment 

 and promotion by merit will be of 

 the essence of the new Jaw, and if 

 rigidly adhered to, the Forest Ser- 

 vice of the British Columbia Govern- 

 ment will be placed on a much more 

 efficient basis than has been possible 

 under the patronage system. 





1.1— CI — ;-ii— :.ii^— tMi-^— na— lui^^tiii— ^i!ft— riu^^iin— rn ni in d^ 



1 



"The fire ranger's duty is first of 

 all to prevent forest fires, and, when 

 they do occur, to put them out. One 

 great feature of fire prevention is 

 the ability of the ranger to educate 

 the people in his district and make 

 them understand the great cause that 

 we are working for. 



In dry weather he should always 

 be on the move, watching fisher- 

 men, drivers, jobbers and other peo- 

 ple travelling in the woods. When- 

 ever he meets a person, he should 

 find out his name and destination, 

 give him advice when needed, and 

 always warn him against the danger 

 of forest fires. By giving the people 

 kind advice and help, he will make 

 them his friends and they will be 

 more willing to do their share in 

 saving our forests. 



In the settled districts, the rangers 

 also supervise the burning of slash. 

 The clearing of land is one of the 

 worst menaces to the forest. In 

 former years when the settler wanted 



The Ranger at Work 



to clear his land, he put fire to the 

 brush on his lot, regardless of time 

 and weather. That millions of dol- 

 lars worth of good timber went up 

 in smoke mattered little to him if it 

 could save him a few days' labour in 

 piling the brush before, and watch- 

 ing it while it was burning. 



Damp and rainy weather does not 

 give the ranger a vacation as many 

 people would believe. He then starts 

 cutting and clearing portages and 

 trails to facilitate communications, so 

 that, when fires occur, he can get 

 men and supplies to the fire in the 

 easiest way and the shortest time 

 possible. He also builds look-out 

 towers on high and convenient sites 

 in his district during wet seasons. 

 At convenient places in his district 

 are stored shovels, mattocks, axes, 

 fire pails, etc., for fighting fires." 



(Henry Sorgius, Manager St. Maur- 

 ice Forest Protective Association at 

 annual meeting. Commission of Con- 

 servation.) 



