The Bemidji pioneer., 1900-08-30
MINNESOTA FORESTRY
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FOREST
FIRES.

PRECAUTIoNs AGAINST FOREST
| FIRES.
Fifth Annual Report of the Chief
Fire Warden of Minnesota.
The law for the prevention and sup
preston Of forest and prairie fires has
| been In operation Ave years. and the
1 fifth annual report OF the Chief Fire
| Warden, Gen. c. G.. Andrews, being for
the year 1899, has just been published,
II is a document Of LA pages, and con-
tains numerous original Illustrations
i 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 Cher 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 fifteen days at two dol
lars day. In emergencies, any able
bodied male citizen is years of age may
be called upon to help exting9ish
4 fire, for which he may be paid SloO a
! day for not exceeding five days In q
| year 1t is the duty of chairmen and
Of fire wardens in unorganized terri
| tory to investigate and report fires TO
the Chief Fire Warden. Such officers
are furnished with blanks for the pur
| pose and stamped return envelope, ana
| may charge fee for making reports
| The number Of forest fires reported for
| 1899 was only 10; acres burned over,
1855; damage, $1,541. Number of prairie
fires, 81; acres burned over. 24,6l6; dam.
age, s4,856. The drought Of 1900, re-
garded BY many as eqGal TO that of
1894, when the Hinckley lire occurred,
had been broken just as tbs report was
ready to be printed. In regard to this
period the Chief Fire Warden says:
There have been many forest nres,
but from all the information have re-
ceived r doubt II the aggregate dam
age caused by them will exceed $780,
900, or per cent OF the total valuation
OF the forests. There has been no loss
OF life. Considering the vast extent Of
the forest region, the great acIiVlly
prevailing and the dangerous weather,
the damage is less than might nave
been expected. While in some cases
fire warden could, no doubt, have been
more on the alert, it is nevertheless
fact that many fires We're prevented,
controlled and extinguished by ire
wardens. The fact that ] have re-
ceived over 500 reports from various
fire wardens, relating to fires and the
precautions being taken during the
drought, is evidence OF their interest
and activity"
The Pay OF Fire Wardens.
Under the present law 1t is the duty
of county commissioners to audit the
accounts OF fire wardens when salts
fed 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 practically nullified the law In
their counties. The state promptly re-
imburses each count y to the amount OF
one-third Of what they expend for fire
warden service. and no county can ex-
pend more than $500 In any one year,
under the fire warden law. What better
method can be devised for the payment
OF fire warden claims than by coun-
ties? If payment be left to the respec-5
I'tite town boards. a levy for the pur-
pose Will have to be voted each year
by the town meeting, and 1t might fire.;
quently happen that the towns which
most needed the service would fail 70
vote the money Also 1t might often
happen that money would be voted and
not actually required; in which case
there would be temptation to spend it.
| There might be CAGES where towns
could not afford to pay the necessary
expense. Suppose the state would as,
sumo to pay all such expenses, how
could a central officer very well scru-
tinize the accounts? Would there not
be liability Of much more excessive ac-5
counts being presented than under the
present system?
We made the following additional ex-
tracts from the report:
Punishment for CnreIessIy Causing
Fires. 49,
A few persons have been convicted
and punished the past year for care
l8lessly causing fires. Fire wardens
| however, are reluctant to institute
criminal proceedings; and 1t is natural
| that they should be unwilling to make
criminal complaint against man who,
perhaps, will be their neighbor or
| townsman through life. Still, men who
accept official trusts should have cour-
! age to discharge them faithfully. Com :
| munities often feel that a man is be-
| ing 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 are Mable to be careless,
and when we punish man &ho, In q
needless and careless spirit. sets fire
In very dry and windy weather, which
| he ought to know he cannot control
and which destroys or endangers the
property of others, he should be made
an example of; not for revenge or be-
cause we wish to injure him, but as a
| warning to many others to refrain
from doing the same.
/ Guarantees by Railroad Companies
| m Against Fires.
The act OF congress of March 3, 1879,
grants railroad companies rights OF
way through the public lands of the
| United States, and the act of congress
Of March Q, 1899, grants general right
of way for railroads through Indian
! reservations: and the laws of Mime
sofa give railroad companies power to
ACQUIRE rights OF way by purchase or
| condemnation of land. None of these
4 - ..,.o,,;5ts x,,,a RI n tees uaif1St cauS-