128 FOREST PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION 
and debris caused by cutting in such a manner that inflammable material 
shall not remain on the ground within fifty feet of the limit of the right of 
way of a railroad or center of the wrought portion of any plantation, town, 
city, county or State road. Provided, however, that consent and direction in 
writing from the forestry department shall be required for the burning of 
such brush or slash except when the ground is covered with snow. The forest 
commissioner shall cause to be furnished to all the chief forest fire wardens 
and to the municipal officers of all towns and organized plantations of the 
State, blank permits, signed by him, for the burning of brush or slash. Any 
chief forest fire warden or the municipal officers of the town, in the county 
where the land is located, shall have full authority to countersign and grant 
such permits signed by the forest commissioner. The forest commissioner 
may, however, in any particular case called to his attention, overrule the de- 
cision of the chief forest fire warden or the municipal officers, and himself 
grant the permit asked for or forbid the granting of the same. Whoever 
violates any of the provisions of this section shall on conviction thereof be 
punished by a fine of fifty dollars. 
Section 54. Slash and debris accumulating by the construction and main- 
tenance of railroads, highways, power company, telegraph or telephone lines, 
shall be disposed of in such a manner that inflammable material shall not be 
left on the ground. Whenever slash or debris or inflammable material are 
found on the ground having accumulated as the result of the construction 
and maintenance of railroads, highways, power company, telegraph or tele- 
phone lines, contrary to the terms of this section the person responsible there- 
for, or his employer, whether individual, firm or corporation, shall be pun- 
ished by a fine of fifty dollars. 
Section 55. When any person, firm or corporation or agent, shall have 
failed to dispose of slash and debris as provided by the two preceding sections 
the forest commissioner shall notify the owner of the land of the requirement 
of this statute, and if such owner, within reasonable time, shall fail to destroy 
or remove such slash or debris such commissioner shall cause such slash and 
debris to be so disposed of. He shall pay the expense of so disposing of such 
slash and debris from any funds at his disposal, legally applicable to such 
purpose; and he or his successor in office shall be entitled to recover the 
amount of such expenditures in an action of debt, to be prosecuted by the at- 
torney general in_the supreme judicial court in the county where the land 
lies, against the person, firm, corporation or agent, whose duty it was to dis- 
pose of such slash and debris; and there shall be a lien on the land on which 
the cutting of forest growth took place, to secure any judgment recovered 
in such action, to be enforced by attachment in said action, made within six 
months after such expenditures were made. This remedy shall be additional 
to the penalty provided in said sections. 
CHAPTER 168 
Public Laws—1919 
Any person, firm, corporation or agent who cuts any wood or lumber 
within the woodlands of this State and desires to dispose of the slash and 
debris caused by such cutting or clearing by burning, shall be first required 
to obtain a permit therefor in accordance with the provisions of section 53 of 
