4 ANNUAL REPORT OF 



should be sufficient to convict him of carelessness in caus- 

 ing the fire, but refrained from instituting criminal prose- 

 cution, because it appeared that he was liable to suffer 

 considerably in payment of damage in civil actions at law. 



THIRTEEN YEARS ' EXPERIENCE. 



We have now had 13 years' experience with the law 

 for the prevention of forest and prairie fires. Town 

 supervisors, mayors of cities and presidents of village 

 councils are constituted fire wardens under this law; they 

 are every year instructed in their duties under the law, 

 and cautioned to use their efforts for the prevention and 

 control of fires ; they are paid for investigating and report- 

 ing fires; they are hable to a penalty for faihng to 

 report forest and prairie fires in their districts; in 

 unorganized territory wardens are appointed by the 

 Forestry Commissioner, where there is a suitable person 

 whose services can be obtained; and it can be safely 

 assumed that about all the fires that are at all important 

 have been reported. The returns show that the damage 

 done by forest fires during these past 13 years has averaged 

 only $29,819 annually, and that the damage from prairie 

 fires during the same period has averaged only $16,397 

 annually. 



When we consider the great area of country — 20, 000,000 

 acres and upwards — where such fires are liable to prevail, 

 the great activity in the settlement of the country and in 

 the various industries, the damage from fires has been 

 exceedingly small. In neighboring states during the 

 period mentioned forest fires have occurred doing damage 

 in at least one instance to the amount of a million dollars. 

 I believe the administration of this law in Minnesota has 

 saved more than a million dollars worth of property. 



There is, however, room for improvement. No one 



