164 Canadian Forestry Journal, August, ipij. 



Ontario Settlers Cause Many Fires 



Between Pembroke and North Bay This Year's Losses Are 



Attributable to Farm Clearing 



It is only a matter of a few years only fair method of overcoming a 



at most until every Canadian pro- danger the consequences of which 



vince compels its settlers to knuckle [hey share in common with the lum- 



, , r . . 1 .V, bermen. Ouebec is makmg an 



down to the law of fair-play in the ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ 



matter of slash and brush burning, necessity for province-wide control 

 With the continued improvement in of slash and brush firing. Prosecu- 

 railway precautions against forest tions of guilty parties are becoming 

 fires, the question of dealing with more frequent and magistrates are 

 the settlers becomes more and more increasing the severity of punish- 

 urgent. Regulations covering fire ment. It may be that a larger staff 

 prevention as imposed by the Rail- will be required to effectually con- 

 way Board upon the steam roads trol the settlers from setting out 

 have relieved them of much of their fires during the danger seasons, but 

 old reputation as the chief cause of at least the Department has shown 

 forest destruction. In Ontario it is determination in the matter and will 

 an unquestioned fact that of the gradually overcome the handicaps, 

 scores of this year's fires, large and New Brunswick has taken steps 

 small, between Pembroke and North which may mean a province-wide 

 Bay, more than eighty per cent, control of settlers' fires. On July 10, 

 have been due to settlers. The rail- a special regulation of the Depart- 

 ways have been a relatively unim- ment of Lands and Mines was put 

 portant factor in Ontario's losses into force by Hon. George J. Clarke, 

 thus far in 1915. It is understood blanketing the settlements of Hazen 

 that Hon. G. Howard Ferguson, and Grimmer in the County of Resti- 

 Minister of Lands, Forests and gouche and lands adjacent thereto. 

 Mines, is giving the question of con- "Before any brush piles or slash in 

 trol of settlers fires earnest consider- clearing lands can be burned," reads 

 ation with a view to devising some the regulation, "a. permit in writing 

 means of bringing the evil under must first be obtained from the care- 

 control. Ontario now has no permit taker of said settlements and due 

 system and is paying for the absence notice must be served on the adja- 

 of it in very large annual sacrifices cent land owner or occupier .... 

 of timber. under a penalty of not less than 

 The tendency of all our provincial twenty dollars and not more than 

 governments is undoubtedly in the two hundred dollars. Settlers are 

 direction of settlers' permit system, notified that this regulation will be 

 British Columbia manages to en- strictly enforced in future." 

 force fairly stringent regulations The foregoing order was issued as 

 governing the burning of brush and a result of very serious fires which 

 slash without much offence to the occurred this spring in Hazen and 

 farming population ; it is even said Grimmer districts due to the unregu- 

 that the settlers have accepted the lated burning of settlers' slashings, 

 law and its administration as the Since three provinces, British Co- 



