1000 



Canadian Forestry Journal, March, 1917 



limit holders were paying almost as 

 much for "protection" that did not 

 protect. 



The question of a new fire tax in 

 Ontario with full government con- 

 trol of the ranger system was taken 

 by many of the licensees with per- 

 haps a smaller degree of joy than Mr. 

 Ferguson's address seemed to pre- 

 dict. It is true that some are paying 

 as much as five dollars a square mile 

 for ranger services. Many others are 

 paying probably not even one dollar a 

 square mile ; in other words, are giving 

 their timber lands the minimum of 

 fire ranging service. Several of the 

 largest timber berth owners informed 



the Canadian Forestry Journal that 

 while the new tax as proposed by the 

 government would run their fire pro- 

 tection costs from |5 to $6.40 per 

 square mile, they would consider the 

 arrangement a profitable one if the 

 Ontario Department sincerely under- 

 took to remodel the present patch- 

 work on licensed lands and give them 

 a well-organized and closely inspected 

 plan of fire protection. Those licen- 

 sees who have sincerely sought to 

 protect their Ontario lands are often 

 met with a situation where fires have 

 crossed from unprotected territory, 

 taking enormous toll of property in 

 itself well guarded. 



Manitoba's Chance for ''Thrift'' in Fires 



The Manitoba Government is now 

 considering specific recommendations 

 for better protection of the forests, 

 submitted by the new Fire Commiss- 

 ioner, Mr. A. E. Ham, who is also In- 

 surance Commissioner, for Manitoba. 



Mr. Ham's report, now before the 

 Legislature, contains a highly im- 

 portant reference to fire prevention 

 in the timbered areas of northern 

 Manitoba. 



Amendments to Fire Act. 



"Some immediate amendments 

 to the Fire Prevention Act are 

 recommended by the Fire Com- 

 missioner, among them being 

 the following drafted by the 

 Canadian Forestry Association : 

 1. Defining the weeded dis- 

 tricts of Manitoba and making 

 it compulsory at all times to have 

 a permJt to set a fire in same or 

 within six miles of a forest re- 

 serve. 2. Such permit to be 

 given by a Dominion forest or 

 fire ranger, or special fire guard- 

 ian appointed by the minister. 

 3. Permit to be refused, if on ac- 

 count of conditions, the season 

 is considered specially danger- 

 ous. 4. Minister may appoint 

 special fire rangers or any Do- 

 minion forest ranger to be auth- 

 ori?ed to grant permits. 5. Game 



guardians ex-officio to be fire 

 guardians. 6. Fire guardians to 

 be given power to arrest with- 

 out warrant any person found 

 violating any provisions of the 

 Act. 7. Burden of proving that 

 the reouirements of this Act have 

 been complied with shall be upon 

 the defendant. 



The above are in accord with the 

 policy advocated by the Canadian 

 Forestry Association, Commission of 

 Conservation, and other public bodies 

 interested in the maintenance of na- 

 tural resources for the people of the 

 West. The large Western member- 

 ship of the Canadian Forestry Asso- 

 ciation has worked energetically and 

 unselfishly to stir up support for 

 the better control of fires in the for- 

 ested areas, so that some months ago 

 practically every • Member of the 

 Legislature, Cabinet Minister, news- 

 paper, and public body was informed 

 as to the purpose of proposed legisla- 

 tion. 



It is believed that the Gov- 

 ernment of Manitoba will give 

 this measure hearty and prompt 

 support. Meanwhile, no effort 

 should be spared by our Mani- 

 toba members to inform mem- 

 bers of the Legislature that pub- 

 lic sentiment stands behind the 

 amendments as proposed by Mr. 

 Ham. 



