Canadian Forestry Journal, July, ipi6. 625 



ernment recognized its duty in giv- Left to themselves, the serious 

 ing protection to the main sources duties of forest protection are not 

 of provincial income, and has sue- likely to be carried out. This lack 

 ceeded in introducing a modern and of actual service as rendered by 

 energetic forest service which al- Ontario's fire rangers does not 

 ready has greatly diminished the mean that the province is saving 

 likelihood of a wholesale timber loss money in comparison with other 

 in the future. The Quebec Goverit provinces. On the contrary, the 

 ment looked upon its responsibilities lack of supervisors is a costly pro- 

 in the perpetuation of the timber ceedmg; the losses in timber re- 

 and timber mdustries in a spirit no f^^^mg from inefficiency can scarce- 

 less advanced. As a result, the ^' ^^ computed. Rangers m British 

 !^ , T • 1 . ] 1 V Columbia or m the well-organized 

 Quebec Legislature passed at its sections of the United Stat?s have 

 last session an amendment render- f^,,. leisure moments in their daily 

 ing It unlawful for a settler to un- rounds. The opportunities for edu- 

 dertake to clear his land by the use cation of the local residents bv the 

 of fire, without first obtaining a rangers are extensive. They' can 

 permit to do so from a qualified build trails and lookout towers, and 

 ranger. This obviates the ever- it is their business to construct safe 

 present risk of settlers' fires being camp-fire places for hunters and 

 set out on excessively dry or windy fishermen and campers who make 

 days, and also insures that the heaps use of the areas within their patrol, 

 of slash shall be kept in the centre They can guard the timber against 

 of the clearing. settler's fires by curbing the care- 

 Quebec is also awake in its efforts lessness of the settler. That On- 

 to make incendiarism in forest areas tario gets more than a fraction of 

 punishable to the same degree as the reasonable amount of service due 

 fires in a town or village. Under from its large number of rangers is 

 Quebec laws several scores of pro- doubtful. 



secutions of settlers who caused Settlers' fires have been proved to 

 forest fires last year were under- be one of the worst source of timber 

 taken, and in many cases fines were loss. Knowing such facts, the pro- 

 imposed or the guilty parties im- vincial government has taken no 

 prisoned. steps thus far to overcome the evil. 

 Ontario, however, has not yet seen British Columbia and Quebec have 

 fit to apply the obviously necessary prohibited settlers from carrying on 

 reforms in its forest protection serv- burning operations without the ad- 

 ice which have been so generally ac- vice and supervision of the ranger, 

 cepted by British Columbia and and they must secure from him a 

 Quebec, although the latter have special permit. This regulation 

 less to fear from large fire losses in works no hardship on the settler and 

 the forest than has Ontario. It is is a most valuable protection to 

 generally agreed that forest protec- standing timber. At present, in On- 

 tion in Ontario suffers from lack oi tario. no matter how conscientious 

 organization both at headquarters the ranger, the settler may snap his 

 and in the field. The men are, of fingers at him. 



course, political appointees, but even Sir Clififord Sifton has estimated 



political appointees may be carefully that at the present rate of cutting 



and intelligently selected. The and burning, the forests of Ontario 



supervision and inspection of fire could not last more than thirty 



rangers is just as necessary as the vears. This brings the province 



supervision and inspection of the face to face with a most grave prob- 



employees of a locomotive works, lem. From no other source than 



