Canadian Forestry Journal, August, ipi6 



691 



Ontario Editors Demand Reform of 



Ontario's System 



A Few Lines From Some of the Critical Comments in 

 Ontario Newspapers Since the Forest Fire Tragedy 



"Ottawa Evening Journal," Aug. 

 1, 1916: Ontario is the only province 

 without a brush law. Let this 

 grim tragedy be the last to blacken 

 the annals of the Northland. Life 

 and property must be made safe, and 

 it is up to Ontario to grapple with 

 the problem, 

 enforce them 



Make good laws and 



Settlement of the North. 



Toronto "Globe," Aug. 2, 1916: 

 The clearing of land by fire, except 

 under the direct supervision of 

 competent Government overseers, 

 should be absolutely forbidden. It 

 is forbidden in almost every other 

 part of the continent except Onta- 

 rio. 



Must Fight Fire. 

 "Toronto Daily Star," Aug. 1, 

 1916: We must fight fire as we 

 would fight the invasion of a for- 

 eign army. The actual money loss 

 caused by a great forest fire is far 

 beyond the most liberal expenditure 

 for protection. 



Insurance Must Be Increased. 

 Toronto "Mail and Empire," Aug. 2, 

 1916: Whatever the cause of such 

 disasters, the insurance against fur- 

 ther experiences of them must be 

 increased, regardless of cost. The 

 settler must be assured, so far as it 

 is possible for public regulation and 

 efficient public service to assure 

 him. against the contingency of for- 

 est fires." 



Where Ontario Stands. 

 "Financial Post," Toronto, Aug. 

 5 : Despite the awful warning of the 

 catastrope of five years ago, the evi- 

 dence is not wanting that the neces- 

 sary and obvious precautions for the 

 protection of Ontario's citizens and 

 Ontario's public domain have not 

 been taken. We cannot imagine 

 the ofificials of any efficinetly oper- 

 ated private corporation, with the 

 same resources at stake as those of 

 the province in the Northern dis- 

 trict, neglecting to take every pos- 

 sible precaution for the protection 

 oi their assets. 



