176 Thikd Annual Report of the 



from forest fires. In 1911, New York secured $2,000 for fire 

 protective work, provided an equal amount was spent within the 

 same area by the State. The restrictions of the law confined the 

 use of the money to such parts of the watersheds of the Hudson 

 and Delaware rivers as lay within the Forest Preserve. 



In 1912, under a similar agreement, $4,000 was secured from 

 the Federal Forest Service, and in 1913 the allotment was 

 increased to $5,000. The aid thus given has made possible the 

 establishment and operation of more observation stations than 

 would have been possible with the amount appropriated by the 

 State alone. 



CONCLUSION 



In concluding, it is important to consider the lines along which 

 future development of our system of fire protection must take 

 place. We believe that the system itself is effective, economical, 

 and thoroughly practicable. Protection from forest fires is being 

 afforded to property worth many millions of dollars, and at an 

 annual cost which probably does not exceed one-tenth of one per 

 cent, of the total value of that property. 



There are, however, a number of the details of our system 

 which must be improved before we can secure the maximum effi- 

 ciency. More mountain stations should be established. In some 

 places there are wide gaps in the system of observation stations. 

 In clear weather the stations now in operation cover the territory 

 fairly well; but during the hazy and smoky conditions, which 

 invariably accompany a bad fire season, the views from these 

 mountains are restricted. The remedy for this condition lies in 

 the establishment of a series of secondary mountain stations, 

 which should be equipped with telephones at the beginning of the 

 fire season, but which need not have observers assigned to them 

 unless the fire hazard becomes great. 



Many miles of telephone will need to be constructed before 

 satisfactory communication can be secured throughout all parts of 

 the Forest Preserve. In planning these lines, it is important to 

 look ahead into the future, in order that each section of line which 

 is built may form a link in a carefully planned telephone system 

 — useful for purposes of administering the forests and protecting 

 them from fire. 



