Canadian Forestry Journal, August, ipij. 169 



terested will be spoiled, to say to the influence of the Canadian 



nothing- of the natural beautv and Forestry Association upon the new 



the general financial loss. ^ movement of the affiliated clubs and 



,^^°, , • , , t n the Canadian public in general. 



We thmk that we are the first j^ ^^^ Canadian Northern Laur- 



organization formed by the general entian Association the following are 



public to combat fires, and hope that represented : Bark Lake Protective 



the effects of our organization will Association, Bark Lake, via Arun- 



spread throughout the various dis- del, P.Q. ; Lake View Protective 



tricts that are popular with city Association, Lake View, via Weir, 



people and thereby educate and in- p.Q. ; The Sixteen Island Lake Fish- 



fluence them to the dangers and ing Club Inc., Sixteen Island Lake, 



horrors of forest fires, and eventually p.Q. ; Leclerc Island Protective As- 



to educate the farmer or settler to a sociation, Leclerc Island, P.Q. ; The 



proper care when burning brush or Newaygo Club, Newaygo, P.Q. ; 



clearing land." Lake Echo Fish and Game Club, 



Mr. Ayerst makes a kind reference Morin Heights, P.Q. 



Prosecutions Cut Quebec's Losses 



Four Parishes in St. Maurice District Decreased Their Forest 



Fires From 105 to 4. 



The proper kind of action in the it has been found necessary to make 



case of incendiary settlers and itin- examples of a few in order that the 



erants in the frontier districts of many may take the lesson to heart. 



Quebec Province has been taken this The law against forest incendiarism 



summer by managers of two limit- is a relatively new one — certainly 



holders' Associations, the St. Maur- new in its application — and old and 



ice and the Lower Ottawa. criminal customs require harsh 



Only by co-operation of the local remedies. In four adjoining parishes 



magistrates and the fire inspectors covered by the St. Maurice system, 



who bring guilty parties to trial can there were reported in 1913 no less 



real reform be brought about. In- than 105 fires. As a result of the 



stances have been encountered where permit system and hearty prosecu- 



out-of-work residents boasted in tion of offenders, the following year 



public that something must be done showed an amazing drop to 4 fires, 



to provide work and that a forest fire The Provincial Government dis- 



would be the simplest means of played great vigor in following up 



getting a job at two dollars a day. complaints of the fire rangers, and 



Threats such as these have been car- their policy is equally in evidence 



ried out; in a few cases the offender this year, 

 has been caught and punished. One of the residents in the terri- 



Neither the Quebec Government tory patrolled by the Lower Ottawa 

 nor the mutual companies engaged association was arrested for causing 

 in forest protection have the least timber fires and was fined $115. Be- 

 desire to impose drastic penalties on ing unable to meet the fine he re- 

 settlers within their jurisdiction, but mained in jail three months, at the 



