Canadian Forestry Journal, March, ipi6. 423 



How Dominion Parks Management 

 ^^^ Combats Forest Fire ^^^ 



A Complete System of Fire Warning Applied to Tourists, 

 Sportsmen, Etc. — thePrinciple of Affirmation. 



By J. B. Harkin, 

 Commissioner of Dominion Parks. 



The Forestry Committee of the It is the old story, "I didn't know it 



Conservation Commission last year was loaded." The obvious course 



called attention to the desirability to follow then is to endeavor to 



of removing inflammable material in educate every man who may by any 



the woods on government lands out- chance go through the woods to 



side of the railway right of way. guard against doing anything which 



We have made a beginning at this may start a fire. 

 work. For a portion of the past People have been educated to 



summer we had a camp of mterned recognize the necessity of pure air; 



prisoners domg road work m Rocky people have been educated to suffer 



Mountam Park. The road parallel- the isolation of their loved ones in 



led the C.P.R., and while road con- cases of contagious disease. Surely 



struction went on we also cleared there is no reason why they should 



the dead and fallen timber outside not also be educated to be careful 



the right of way as suggested by \^ regard to forest fires. 

 the Committee. I may add that the 



proposition so appealed to us that The Force of Affirmation. 

 we also applied it to the road the I think those who have studied 

 aliens were building, clearing out the psychology of it, agree that men 

 the dead and fallen material for 50 are influenced most by affirmation 

 feet on each side of the road and at and reiteration. If a statement is 

 the same time trimming the green affirmed vigorously enough and re- 

 trees to a height of 5 to 6 feet above iterated often enough practically all 

 the ground. men finally accept it. There is no 



We have devoted a good deal of better vindication of this fact than 



attention to a fire prevention cam- the methods and the success of 



paign. For practical purposes there patent medicine men. You all know 



are only two kinds of fires — man- how they affirm and reiterate. Just 



caused and those resulting from think of the influence their cam-, 



lightning. The latter we cannot paign has on every one of us. There 



prevent but in regard to the former is scarcely a man present, I will 



there does not appear to be any good venture to affirm, who talking ordin- 



reason why a great deal cannot be arily with contempt for patent 



accomplished. I do not admit that medicines, has not on occasions 



one fire in 10,000 is started mali- when he found himself pale or out 



ciously. Practically all are caused of sorts, gone to a drug-store and 



through ignorance and carelessness, purchased some remedy that he has 



