Canadian Forestry Journal, September, ipi6 



719 



PROTECTION ON THE T. AND N. O. RAILWAY LINES. 



The vigilance of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway Commissicners in matters of 

 forest protection has received much well-deserved testimony. Above picture shows one of the four 

 tank cars used on the line between North Bay and Cochrane, Ontario. Each car holds between 

 7,500 and 8,000 gallons of water, and can be easily re-filled at the water tanks. Good service was 

 done by one of the cars at Mileage 133, main line (previous to the holocaust of July last) in extin- 

 guishing a fire caused by a settlers' slash. In the judgment of the commissioners the tank cars have 

 already paid for themselves, and will eventually become a piece of standard railway equipment in for- 

 ested country. 



What Guarantee? 



Hamilton "Times," Aug. 10, 1916: 

 Despite this devastating fire, the 

 clay belt will be repopulated. Those 

 who escaped are already being per- 

 suaded to go back. But what guar- 

 antee have they that another fire 

 wil Inot sweep across their land next 

 year or the next? The Government 

 must see that precautions as good 

 as in other provinces are taken in 

 Northern Ontario. Our Govern- 

 ment cannot afford to have our set- 

 tlers burned up in this way when 

 prevention is possible. 



Opinion in Peterboro. 



Peterboro "Examiner,' 'Aug. 5, 

 1916: Here we have expert opinon 

 to the effect that forest fires are pre- 

 ventable or possible of great restric- 

 tion by the simple passing and en- 

 forcing of legislation prohibiting the 

 crime of setting out "slash" fires in 

 the height of an unusually dry pe- 

 riod. The neglect to take action is 

 little short of criminal. 



Community Interests. 

 Dundas "Star," July 27, 1916: The 

 interests of the community are of 

 more importance than those of the 

 individual and we must legislate ac- 

 cordingly. 



"The Clay Belt's" Opinion. 



From the Cochrane "Claybelt," 

 Aug. 18, 1916: If the Government 

 should not see fit to introduce legis- 

 lative measures during the next ses- 

 sion to reorganize the obsolete fire 

 ranging system and inaugurate sane 

 fire protective service, the entire 

 North will not rest until they see 

 men at the helm of the Government 

 who are capable of stopping a repeti- 

 tion of the horrors accompanying 

 such devastation as we have now ex- 

 perienced for the second time within 

 five years. 



Can Fires Be Prevented? 



Winnipeg Tost," Aug. 5, 1916: 

 One-tenth part of the losses sustain- 

 ed annually by forest fires would pro- 

 vide an army of forest rangers and 

 other means of preventing forest 

 fires or of arresting them when they 

 get beyond control. 



Opinion in Woodstock. 



Woodstock Sentinel-Review," 



Aug. 7, 1916: In the light of the 

 statement presented by the Cana- 

 dian Forestry Association the re- 

 cent disaster was not merely a dis- 

 grace to the province but a crime. 



