ANNUAL RKPORT 1914 5 



to the men in one of the camps of the Potlatch Lumber Company 

 nearby. He was promptly discharged. 



A few days later he and his partner were found working at 

 another camp a few miles distant. He was making inflammatory 

 speeches, advising the men to set fire to the timber and to refuse 

 to fight fire. He and his partner were again discharged. 



( )n July 26th a very hot fire broke out and a few days later 

 a number of men were sent to this fire from Bovill. These two 

 men were in the crew when it arrived at the fire. They were 

 noticed and the foremen were warned to keep a close watch on 

 them. 



However, these men succeeded in slipping out of line soon 

 after the crew began work and disappeared, not showing up again 

 until night. When pressed for an explanation they at first claimed 

 that they had been working on the fire line all day, but when a 

 demand was made that they tell the location of their work and 

 that they point out the men with whom they worked they finally 

 stated that they had stepped out of the trench to rest and had 

 fallen asleep in the brush. 



That night a very fierce fire sprang up in a gulch nearby, 

 where logging operations had been completed several months 

 before and the debris thoroughly cleaned up. There is little doubt 

 in the minds of those familiar with all the circumstances that this 

 fire was set by these men, although no positive proof is available. 

 They were sent out of camp the evening it was discovered that 

 they were not working and have not been back in the country 

 since. 



Another incendiary was apprehended, prosecuted and con- 

 victed. He was in the crew of fire fighters and was evidently 

 intent on keeping the fire going. 



No punishment should be too severe for such men, for they 

 not only endanger millions of dollars worth of property but threat- 

 en the lives of hundred of individuals and those industries which 

 furnish the largest, surest and best-paying markets for labor in 

 the State. 



WEEKS LAW APPROPRIATION 



This has been the second year of our participation in the 

 appropriation made by Congress some time since for the pro- 

 tection of the forests on the watersheds of inter-state navigable 

 streams, under what is generally known as the Weeks Law. 



We received $1,000.00 of this appropriation from the gov- 

 ernment this year. It was expended under the direction of Mr. 

 F. A. Silcox, District Forester, of Missoula, and Mr. E. A. Hoi- 



