CHIEF FIRE WARDEN. 27 



neatly 3, 000, 000 acres of school and state institution lands, 

 scattered principally in the forest regions, on which is 

 much valuable timber, and for the protection of its own 

 property could afford to spend ten times as much as it 

 now spends for the prevention of forest fires. It is the 

 duty of the state to prevent forest fires, if only to preserve 

 its scenery and landscape. These are things which be- 

 long to the public. 



The cities and villages in Minnesota spend in the ag- 

 gregate 1 2, 000, 000 a year to prevent and control fires. 



The prevalence of forest fires in the state is an indica- 

 tion of disregard of law, of negligence, of poor adminis- 

 tration and of a low state of morals. They cast a blemish 

 on the state's reputation for good government and civiliza- 

 tion. They tend to lower its standing before the rest of 

 the country. The taking of precautions to prevent fires, 

 such as the posting of warning notices, the warning of the 

 careless and the prompt prosecution of those who violate 

 the law, also the diffusion of information of the principles 

 of forestry and the value of the forests, will gradually tend 

 to do away with the evil of forest fires and make them of 

 as rare occurrence in this state as they are in the civilized 

 countries of Europe. 



NEW York's system. 



The State of New York in 1885 made town supervisors 

 fire wardens, and that system was in use for twelve years, 

 when the practice was adopted which is still in force of 

 appointing a fire warden for each town in the sixteen 

 counties containing land belonging to the "Forest Pre- 

 serve." The charge for fire warden service is paid by 

 the town in which the service is rendered. The state 

 then pays one-half. New York has a Chief Fire Warden, 

 also a State Superintendent of Forests. During the dry 

 season of 1899 the number of acres burned over in that 

 state was 79,000, damage $86,893; s-^^d the amount paid 

 to fire wardens and and their helpers was $41,659. 



