AN AUSTRALIAN STUDY OF AMERICAN FORESTRY. 
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“Preparedness” is the keynote. 
No plan is considered complete until every possible system has been 
availed of to reduce the liability and hazard and the cost and difficulty of 
suppression, or until a system has been evolved which will, at minimum 
expense, afford the maximum protection which the conditions demand. 
Again is called into requisition, as the basis of the plan, the topographic 
map resulting from the forest survey and assessment. On it are shown accur- 
ately the types of cover and cultivation, lines of travel and transportation, 
location of settlement, sources of supply for labour, equipment food and 
forage ; and location of camping grounds, lookout stations, and natural fire 
barriers such as water, landslides, barren areas, clifis, &c. 
Arrangements are made with ranchers, liverymen, garages, logging camps, 
and storekeepers for the supply of equipment and means of transportation, 
provisions, hay and grain. Ration lists are prepared and agreements entered 
into with local storekeepers to supply them on telegraphic or telephonic 
requisition. 
Where arrangements cannot be made for transportation, pack trains, 
teams, wagons, and auto-trucks are purchased. 
The whole countryside is canvassed for experienced men who are capable 
of handling fire-fighting crews. 
The addresses or telephone numbers of ranches, logging camps, mills, 
and power plants from which labour may be obtained are secured. 
Provision is made in every timber sale contract for the employment 
by the Forest Service of the operator’s labourers for fire fighting. Arrange- 
ments are entered into with local residents to report fires and to assist in 
prevention and suppression, at a wage of ls. 8d. per hour, full time to be 
allowed while reporting fire, and going to or from it. In the absence of a 
forest officer, such fire-fighters keep their own time and may employ not more 
than two men to assist them, at a remuneration of 1s. 6d. per hour per man. 
Co-operative agreements are made with railroad companies, whereby the 
free use of trains and speeders is permitted to forest officers for use in fire 
control. 
A system of roads and trails is being built on every forest to act as topo- 
graphic firebreaks, and to provide ready access to fires. 
A huge telephonic installation is maintained by the Forest Service through- 
out its forests, primarily for fire protection purposes. 
Tool caches, containing fire-fighting tools for squads of men, are placed 
at likely spots throughout the forests. 
Each ranger station represents a firefighting unit, with outfits for 25 to 
50 men. 
Large supply warehouses are maintained at the district offices, with equip- 
ment for 500 men, including tents, blankets, bedding, cook-kits, and pack 
sacks, &c. 
For eight months of the year the ordinary administrative force undertake 
the whole work of fire control. 
In the four months of summer this skeleton force is expanded to consider- 
able size by the employment of a temporary body of fire-fighters. 
