Willmar tribune., 1900-11-21
M INNESOTA a E RESTS
Precautions Against Forest Fires
Outlined.

5-sEs->s,' &s~AAA0s - = " 49, = AASS
Outlined.
The Firth Annual Report of the chief Fir )
Warden Of minnesota. +.
The law, for the prevention and sup
preston Of forest and prairie fires has
been in operation Eve years, and the
hfths annual report Of the Chief Fire
Warden, Gen. G. G. Andrews, for the
year 1899. has recently been published.
1t is a document of IA pages, and con-
tains numerous original illustrations
OF Minnesota forests. The law consti-
tutes town supervisors fire wardens,
and in unorganized townships having
inhabitants the Chief Fire Warden ap-
points fire wardens. The Chief Fire
Warden can mass the fire warden force
OF the state at any special point to sup
press fires In ordinary years their pay
cannot exceed Is days at So day. In
emergencies, any able-bodied male cit.
izen IS years of age may be called upon
to help extinguish a fire. for which he
may be paid $3.50 day for not exceed
ing five days in year. 1t is the duty
of chairmen and of fire wardens in un-
organized territory to investigate and
report fires to the Chief Fire Warden.
Such officers are furnished with blanks
for the purpose and stamped return
envelope, and may charge fee for
making reports. The number of for
est fires reported for 1899 was only 10;
acres burned over, 1885; damage, ST.
Sal. Number of prairie fires, "a; acres
burned over. 24.616; damage, $4.s56.
The drouth Of 1900, regarded by many
as equal to that of 1894, when the
Hinckley fire occurred, had been
broken just as the report was ready to
be printed. In regard to this period
the Chief Fire Warden says:
There have been many forest fires, but
from all the information have received
doubt if the aggregate damage caused
of the total valuation of the forests.
There has been no loss of life. Consider
Ing the vast extent of the forest region,
the great activity prevailing and the dan
gerOus weather, the damage is less than
might ha>v been expected. While in some
cases fire wardens could, no doubt, have
been more on the alert, it is nevertheless
fact that many fires were prevented,
controlled and extinguished by fire war
dens. The fact that I have received
over 300 reports from various fire war
dens, relating to fires and the precautions
being taken during the drought, is evil
dence Of thei interest and activity.
The Pay of Fire ardens.
Under the present law it is the duty
OF county commissioners to audit the
accounts of fire wardens when satisfied
of the justice of the claim, but in two
or three of the thirty counties where
fire warden service should be active
the county commissioners have refused
to audit such accounts, and have prac-
tically nullified the law in their coun-
ties. The state promptly reimburses
each county to the amount of one-third
of what they expend for fire warden
service, and no county can expend
more than $500 in any one year under
the fire warden law. What bette,
method can be devised for the payment
of fire warden claims than by countiest
If payment be left to the respective
town boards, a levy for the purpose
will have to be voted each year by the
town meeting, andit might frequently
happen that the towns which most
needed the service would fail to vote
the money. Also, it might often hap
pen that money would be voted and
not actually required; in which case
there would be temptation to spend it.
There might be cases where towns
could not afford to pay the necessary
expense. Suppose the state would as
sumo to pay all such expenses, how
could central officer very we'll scruti
nize the accounts? Would there not
be liability of much more excessive ac'
counts being presented than under the
present system?
We make the following additional
extracts from the report:
Punishment for Carelessly Causing Fires
A few persons have been convicted and
punished the past year for carelessly
causing fires. Fire wardens, however. are
reluctant to institute criminal proceed
ings: and it is natural that they should
be unwilling to make criminal complain,
against a man who. perhaps, will be theil
men who accept official trusts should
have courage to discharge them faithful
ly. Communities often feel that a man is
being Wronged If he is prosecuted: they
do not stop to think that the principal
object of punishment is to deter others
from committing similar offenses. Very
good.people al liable to be careless, and
when we punish a man who. in needless
and careless spirit. sets fire In very dry
Nd vxyfv,1 NH h0
know he cannot control and which de.
stroys or endangers the property of 9th.
ers, he should be made an example OF
not for revenge or because we wish tc
injure him, but as warning to many
others to refrain from doing the same.
Guarantees by Railroad Companies Against
~. Fires.
The act of congress of March 3, 1875
grants railroad companies rights of way
through the public lands of the United
States. and the act of congress of March
2, 1899, grants general right Of way fol
railroads through Indian reservations
companies power to acquire rights of way
by purchase or condemnation of land
None of these laws provide guarantees
against causing forest fires by companies
operating railroads. and It would seen
that they should be amended SO as to Sc
cure proper guarantees against such
evils. +
Fires on Indian Reservations.
While the fire warden law applies t
white people on Indian reservations. Il
ing some regulations adopted that would
help prevent forest fires on Indian reser
vations. visited Washington In the ear
factory interviews with the. secretary 8,
the interior, the commissioner OF the gen