IOS NINTH REPORT OF THE 



ment of men for fighting forest fires on that account, for men will not perform 

 the hard labor necessary for the protection of forest property without pay. If, 

 as claimed by some, the rate of wages is unnecessarily high in this service, the 

 auditing board of each town has the remedy in its own hands. I have discussed 

 this matter before in previous reports, and regret that it seems necessary to 

 allude to it again. 



Another serious condition which confronts our forest management in the Adiron- 

 dack^ is the ever increasing number of residents. I do not refer to our summer 

 hotels and their patrons. The trouble is caused by the farmers who are carrying 

 on agricultural operations of a minor character, and by the large number of men 

 who remain in the region after the lumbering operations on which they were 

 employed have ceased. Fifty years ago, when there were scarcely any people in 

 our woods, forest fires were almost unknown. Fires do not start spontaneously; 

 some man' or railroad is responsible for them in every case. The more railroads 

 we have the more of the idle, shiftless class come in, hence the greater the danger 

 to our woodlands. It is to be hoped, however, that the State in carrying out its 

 policy of acquiring lands will purchase the holdings of the small farmers, together 

 with other petty interests detrimental to the safety of forest property, and thereby 

 minimize this prolific source of evil. 



Though an unpleasant duty, attention is called to the laxity of public opinion 

 which prevails in certain parts of the Adirondack region as to the cause of forest 

 fires. In nearly every village there is a disreputable class whose presence is 

 inimical to the preservation of our forests. They are the men who, having been 

 arrested at some time for violation of the Game Law or timber stealing, have 

 a grievance against the authorities. They hang around hotels or taverns and 

 when any so-called "State man" is in hearing, delight in making threats that, 

 ''The State has got to look out or there will be more fires in the woods," to which 

 the bystanders listen with smiles or nods of approval. It is discouraging to 

 post the rules and regulations regarding the use of fires only to have them torn 

 down by a fellow who afterwards struts around some barroom bragging of his 

 exploit. Nor is this all. It frequently occurs that when a farmer wilfully burns 

 his fallow in defiance of the law and warnings of the firewarden, thereby destroy- 

 ing the adjacent forest, the citizens refuse to furnish evidence of the crime, 

 although they are fully cognizant of the facts. 



- Aside from the railroads, the remedy for this evil lies with the residents them- 

 selves. It rests with them to create a healthy public sentiment that will prevent 

 the careless and criminal use of fire. If the taxes caused by the expense of 



