10 POTLATCH TIMBER PROTKCTIVK ASSOCIATION 



first built up and it is very evident to me that the larger the super- 

 visory force with such a crew the greater will be its efficacy. 



NECESSITY OF GOOD FOOD AND WATER 



Some great general has said that an army rights on its stom- 

 ach. This is literally true of fire fighters and too much care can 

 not be given to the commissary and arrangements for furnishing 

 the men regularly with good meals and lunches and plenty ot 

 pure, cold water while on the fire line. 



With a hot fire in their faces and an August sun beating down 

 on their backs men who are working well on a fire line require 

 a great deal of water. Unless arrangements are made to supply 

 them with plenty of water at frequent intervals they will leave 

 the fire line in search of it and will drink from mud holes or any 

 .place they can find. 



This makes the men even more uncomfortable than they are 

 anyway ; reduces the time they actually put in fire fighting ; much 

 of their strength is exhausted by the long walks back and forth 

 for water, and it is only a matter of a few days until the entire 

 force is greatly weakened, if not entirely incapacitated, by seroius 

 bowel trouble. 



At times, last summer, I am afraid some of our men suffered 

 from the lack of water. Perhaps this was unavoidable in some 

 cases and I only refer to it in order that I may make plain my 

 reason for stating that, in building up our organization for large 

 fires in the future, one of the first things to be taken care of is 

 an ample supply of good water at all times for the men on the 

 fire line. 



AGITATORS MUST GO 



I want to take this occasion to urge all operators to weed 

 out the malcontents and agitators in their camps as rapidly as 

 possible. Except in the logging camps there is very little work 

 to be had in the timber. If every operator will summarily dis- 

 charge the employee who makes inflammatory speeches or seems 

 inclined to breed trouble it seems to me that we will at least min- 

 imize the danger from incendiaries. 



With a season like that of 1914 our fire hazard is great 

 enough without having to look out for incendiaries. In fact, I 

 question whether an organization could ever be perfected which 

 could offer any adequate measure of protection to our forests 

 against cunning fire bugs. Our only recourse, if we are to pro- 

 tect the timber from such, is to see that they do not get a foot- 

 hold in our neighborhood and are kept moving. The winter 

 and spring is the best time to rid the camps of these men. 



