﻿30 
  Sixteenth 
  Annual 
  Report 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  for 
  tools 
  and 
  other 
  necessary 
  expenses 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  fires 
  to 
  

   be 
  a 
  joint 
  charge 
  between 
  the 
  town 
  and 
  State. 
  

  

  In 
  many 
  cases 
  supervisors 
  do 
  not 
  render 
  bills 
  to 
  the 
  State 
  until 
  

   several 
  months 
  after 
  the 
  fire 
  occurred, 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  secure 
  

   the 
  necessary 
  information 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  case 
  and 
  fully 
  deter- 
  

   mine 
  if 
  the 
  accounts 
  are 
  proper. 
  The 
  law 
  should 
  be 
  amended, 
  re- 
  

   quiring 
  such 
  bills 
  to 
  be 
  filed 
  in 
  this 
  office 
  within 
  thirty 
  days 
  after 
  

   such 
  fire 
  is 
  extinguished, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  secure 
  any 
  financial 
  assistance 
  

   from 
  the 
  State. 
  

  

  The 
  great 
  loss 
  of 
  forest 
  property 
  by 
  fire 
  in 
  the 
  Lake 
  States 
  and 
  

   in 
  the 
  northwest 
  has 
  awakened 
  the 
  keenest 
  criticism 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  

   their 
  laws 
  and 
  methods. 
  Such 
  losses 
  can 
  be 
  almost 
  entirely 
  pre- 
  

   vented 
  with 
  a 
  properly 
  organized 
  force 
  and 
  sufficient 
  funds 
  to 
  main- 
  

   tain 
  it. 
  The 
  land 
  owners 
  of 
  Oregon 
  and 
  Washington 
  have 
  their 
  

   own 
  force 
  organized 
  quite 
  similarly 
  to 
  ours, 
  but 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  main- 
  

   tenance 
  is 
  paid 
  directly 
  by 
  the 
  land 
  owners 
  voluntarily 
  and 
  upon 
  

   a 
  basis 
  of 
  acreage 
  protected. 
  This 
  organization 
  was 
  so 
  effective 
  

   that 
  forests, 
  in 
  regions 
  equally 
  dry 
  and 
  exposed 
  as 
  that 
  where 
  the 
  

   worst 
  fires 
  occurred 
  in 
  the 
  northwest, 
  escaped 
  without 
  loss. 
  The 
  

   time 
  has 
  come 
  when 
  forest 
  property 
  must 
  be 
  guarded 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  

   any 
  other. 
  We 
  cannot 
  depend 
  upon 
  sentiment 
  or 
  charity 
  to 
  do 
  

   this 
  work. 
  A 
  competent 
  force 
  of 
  efficient, 
  active 
  men 
  familiar 
  with 
  

   the 
  country 
  and 
  experienced 
  in 
  fire 
  fighting 
  must 
  be 
  maintained. 
  

   The 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  forests 
  to 
  the 
  people 
  are 
  so 
  great 
  and 
  the 
  benefits 
  

   to 
  be 
  derived 
  so 
  varied 
  and 
  important 
  that 
  the 
  expense 
  is 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  

   considered 
  ; 
  yet 
  the 
  cost 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  small 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  advantages 
  se- 
  

   cured 
  and 
  only 
  pennies 
  are 
  expended 
  where 
  dollars 
  are 
  saved. 
  

   Our 
  present 
  fire 
  law 
  has 
  attracted 
  so 
  much 
  attention 
  that 
  the 
  

   writer 
  was 
  invited 
  to 
  explain 
  it 
  at 
  a 
  meeting 
  of 
  New 
  England 
  

   States 
  forestry 
  interests 
  held 
  at 
  Mt. 
  Washington, 
  N. 
  H., 
  last 
  Au- 
  

   gust 
  and 
  again 
  at 
  the 
  Lake 
  States 
  Forest 
  Fire 
  Conference 
  at 
  St. 
  

   Paul, 
  Minn., 
  the 
  present 
  month. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  still 
  much 
  work 
  to 
  be 
  done, 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  perfecting 
  and 
  

   maintaining 
  the 
  organization 
  for 
  actual 
  fire 
  fighting, 
  but 
  in 
  pro- 
  

   tection. 
  The 
  people 
  who 
  live 
  in 
  our 
  forest 
  sections 
  and 
  those 
  who 
  

   use 
  the 
  woods 
  for 
  hunting, 
  fishing, 
  camping, 
  recreation 
  and 
  health 
  

  

  