191 OJ FOREST, GAME AND FISH WARDEN. 31 



fires; acres burned over 247,886; value of timber and other forest products 

 destroyed $215,474.68; amount paid for extinguishing fires $7,273.30. 



Comparing the above figures with those for 1908 it will be seen that more 

 than $5,000,000 has been saved annually by reducing this fire destruction, and 

 in the four years enough has been saved to pay all expenses of running the 

 state government for the past sixteen years. It might be said that the year 

 19.08 was extremely dry and for this reason the fire loss was greater. This 

 is true, but the year 1911 was equally as dry, and had it not been for the 

 special effort in fighting these fires the loss would certainly have been as 

 great as for the year 1908. 



The United States Department of Agriculture, recognizing the great damage 

 done to the forests of our nation by forest fires, are now co-operating with 

 several of the states in carrying on this important work, West Virginia being 

 one of the states By the following general order issued by the Post Master 

 General it will be seen that it is the duty of all postmasters, rural and star 

 route carries to report forest fires discovered along their routes to persons 

 designated by State and National authorities to receive such information. 



POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT. 

 Fourth Assistant Postmaster General. 



Washington, June 8, 1912. 

 To the Postmaster. 



SIR: Your attention is directed to the following order issued by the Post- 

 master General underrate of May 31, 1912: 

 "ORDER NO. 6315. 



"The following instructions are promulgated for the guidance of the postal 

 employees concerned: 



' ' In accordance with the request of the Secretary of Agriculture, this 

 Departmect has arranged a plan of co-operation with State, and National 

 Forest officers whereby rural and star route carriers shall report forest fires 

 discovered by them along their -routes to persons designated by the State and 

 National authorities to receive such intelligence. 



"Co-operation with State officers will be given in the following States: 

 Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, 

 New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Tennessee, 

 Kentucky, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and 

 California. 



"The National Forest officers will be cooperated with in the following 

 States: Florida, Arkansas, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, 

 Arizona, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California. 



"The State and National authorities wil linform postmasters t as to whom 

 the discovery of fires should be reported, and each rural carrier should be 

 directed to co-operate to the fullest extent with such authorities in the manner 

 agreed upon, namely, that the carrier shall report a fire to the nearest State 

 fire warden or National Forest officer on his route, or, if no such warden or 

 officer lives on the route, to arrange through some responsible citizen to have 

 him notified, by telephone, if possible. Star route contractors and carriers 

 are included in the plan of co-operation and should be requested to report the 

 discovery of fires in the same manner as will be done by the rural carriers. 



