FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER. 1 77 



It was felt that a great deal depended on the manner of the law's 

 administration. If men are obliged to go to expense in doing something 

 which they possibly don't see the use of, something which perhaps works 

 to the benefit of other people more than their own, they ought not in addition 

 to be affronted by harsh and hasty administration. With this in view, 

 the work of inspection was as fast as possible assumed by the inspectors 

 and patrolmen who were directly under the control of this office. These 

 men were then instructed to be conservative and patient in their work, 

 giving everyone verbal notice of the law, explaining what the Department 

 required, inspecting the jobs frequently and invoking penalties only when 

 men proved really refractory. 



It would appear now that we have come through the season with a 

 minimum of friction and secured a very fair observance of the new regula- 

 tion. It was not expected to secure the first year a perfect result. Four- 

 teen men have been arrested and fined for non-observance of the law, eight 

 by game protectors and six by fire patrolmen. These actions, involving a 

 fine of $25 each, have in every case been sufficient to cause the operator to 

 lop his tops without more ado, so that it has not been necessary, as it has 

 not been desired, to inflict the civil penalty. 



The technical aspects of the matter are dealt with in a report from 

 Forester Stephen. From his study of the lopping that has been done in 

 years past, it would clearly appear that the effect of this operation on the 

 condition of the forest is much greater than many have believed. The nor- 

 mal cost of lopping tops is three cents per standard or ten cents per cord, 

 and numerous operators find this cost to be counterbalanced by the 

 timber saved and by greater ease in skidding. 



Forest Fires 



The most responsible and pressing work which developed on this 

 office during the past season was the administration of the new fire law in 

 the forest preserve counties. While New York, with its town warden 

 system, led off among the States many years ago in forest fire legislation, 

 the system of fire protection then established had, by the test of two dry 

 and destructive seasons, proved inadequate; and a new system, on different 



