﻿28 
  Sixteenth 
  Annual 
  Report 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  a 
  crop 
  the 
  same 
  season. 
  It 
  also 
  seriously 
  interferes 
  with 
  the 
  effi- 
  

   ciency 
  of 
  our 
  fire 
  protective 
  system, 
  adds 
  an 
  unnecessary 
  expense 
  

   and 
  often 
  leads 
  to 
  violation 
  of 
  the 
  law. 
  It 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  make 
  

   our 
  system 
  effective 
  unless 
  every 
  fire 
  is 
  attacked 
  promptly, 
  there- 
  

   fore 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  every 
  smoke 
  regard- 
  

   less 
  of 
  whether 
  permits 
  have 
  been 
  issued 
  or 
  not. 
  This 
  is 
  too 
  heavy 
  

   a 
  burden 
  upon 
  our 
  limited 
  force, 
  produces 
  a 
  large 
  expense 
  and 
  the 
  

   burning 
  could 
  be 
  done 
  before 
  the 
  fire 
  season 
  with 
  safety. 
  The 
  

   statute 
  should 
  be 
  amended 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  obviate 
  both 
  these 
  troubles. 
  

   Section 
  73, 
  Fires 
  to 
  Clear 
  Land, 
  should 
  be 
  changed 
  and 
  permit 
  

   burning 
  from 
  November 
  1st 
  to 
  May 
  15th 
  inclusive 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  

   remainder 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  absolutely 
  prohibit 
  it. 
  No 
  fires 
  should 
  be 
  

   set 
  between 
  April 
  1st 
  and 
  May 
  15th, 
  inclusive, 
  without 
  the 
  written 
  

   permit 
  of 
  an 
  officer 
  duly 
  authorized 
  by 
  the 
  Commissioner, 
  and 
  if 
  

   any 
  fires 
  did 
  occur 
  during 
  the 
  prohibited 
  season, 
  where 
  it 
  was 
  

   evident 
  that 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  such 
  fires 
  was 
  to 
  clear 
  land, 
  then 
  it 
  

   would 
  be 
  prima 
  facie 
  evidence 
  that 
  such 
  fires 
  were 
  set 
  by 
  the 
  owner 
  

   or 
  occupant 
  for 
  this 
  purpose 
  and 
  would 
  constitute 
  a 
  violation. 
  

   This 
  section 
  should 
  be 
  further 
  amended 
  to 
  include 
  the 
  town 
  of 
  

   Hopkinton, 
  St. 
  Lawrence 
  county, 
  because 
  it 
  contains 
  such 
  a 
  large 
  

   area 
  of 
  forest. 
  

  

  The 
  expense 
  incurred 
  by 
  this 
  department 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  

   clearing 
  of 
  land 
  is 
  considerable, 
  and 
  furthermore 
  consumes 
  a 
  large 
  

   amount 
  of 
  valuable 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  field 
  force. 
  An 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  extent 
  

   of 
  the 
  burning 
  may 
  be 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  following 
  table 
  : 
  

  

  Record 
  of 
  Fire 
  Permits 
  Granted 
  

  

  Counties 
  1909 
  *9io 
  

  

  Clinton 
  96 
  54 
  

  

  Essex 
  92 
  83 
  

  

  Fulton 
  49 
  20 
  

  

  Franklin 
  28 
  28 
  

  

  Hamilton 
  35 
  49 
  

  

  Herkimer 
  12 
  6 
  

  

  Lewis 
  42 
  70 
  

  

  Oneida 
  9 
  .... 
  

  

  