Conservation Commission 71 



Smokers 224 



Fishermen 120 



Locomotives 78 



Campers 64 



Berry pickers 31 



Incendiary 30 



Lightning 26 



Clearing land 43 



Hunters 14 



Burning buildings 8 



Fire works 5 



Children 5 



Steam rollers 4 



Stationary engines 2 



Bee hunters 1 



Maple sugar camp 1 



L^nknown 32 



688 



An examination of the above table shows that fully 85 per cent. 

 of the fires which have occurred within the last year were pre- 

 ventable. If the smokers had not carelessly thrown burning 

 cigars, cigarettes or tobacco upon the dry vegetation, one-third of 

 these fires would not have occurred. If the fishermen had been 

 more careful with their camp fires and tobacco nearly one-fifth 

 of the fires would not have occurred. The same conclusion can be 

 drawn in regard to many of the other causes above mentioned. 

 In order to overcome these difficulties the commission has en- 

 deavored to carry on a campaign of education. There was in- 

 serted in the " Game Law Booklet," which is supplied to practic- 

 ally every hunter and fisherman, two pages calling attention to 

 the ease with which fires are started, the loss of life, property, 

 business, etc., as a result of carelessness. Thousands of fire 

 notices have been posted along the roads, trails, streams, lakes 

 and ponds with similar words of caution. Twenty thousand 

 copies of a folder in regard to fires were published and have been 

 carefully distributed. ^Nearly all of the important railroad lines 



