The Jersey City news., 1906-07-07
Governor Stokes As Presi-
dent of the Forest Reser-
vation Commission APP
peals for Protection From
Fire
TIMBERLAND DEVASTATED
CARELEssNEss AscRIBED AS A
MAIN CAUSE OF Loss-EF-
FORTS TO BE MADE TO STAMP
OUT THE PERIODICAL CoNFLA-
CREATIONS.

OUT THE PERIODICAL CONFLA-
CITATIONS.
The forest park reservation commits
sion, of which Governor Stokes is presi-
dent has prepared an appeal to. the citi-
zens of New Jersey to arouse themselves
in an effort to stamp out the disastrous
forest fires that periodically devastate
certain sections of the state. The APP
peal is headed by the words Fire!
Fire!! Fire.!n'
The new act relating to forest fires
and the appointment of fire wardens
went into effect yesterday. and it is in
connection with this law that the COM
mission has sought to invoke the CO.
operation Of citizens generally. The
commission is authorized by the act to
appoint a state fire warden, and upon
receiving written notice from the board
the governing body of any township is
required to appoint a township warden.
In case Of failure to do so this power
becomes vested in the commission. The
town warden may in turn divide the
township into two or more districts and
appoint in each a district warden. I'm
der the general direction of the COM
mission the wardens are given consider
able scope in dealing with forest fires
and adopting means for their preyen-
ton.
In its comments upon the subject the
appeal of the Forest Commission says:
For many years large section of
New Jersey has been annually visited
by damaging fires to its woods or forests.
SO widespread has been the destruction
that the State has found it imperatively
necessary to take some steps to lessen
this great loss to the people. To that
end, the Legislature, at its session of
1906, enacted a forest fire law designed
to accomplish a two-fold purpose-to
protect the property of the citizens of
the State and to preserve for the future
our fast disappearing woods.
sThe people who should be the most
| interested, therefore, in the successful
! operation of this law are those who live
in the parts of the State where there is
now the greater percentage of woodland.
To these people, whose welfare is largely
at stake, the State looks for cooperation
and support in carrying out the proyis-
ions of the law. With the proper public
sentiment behind it and with every one
using his best efforts to make it effectual,
/ this law can be made of inestimable
value to the woodland owners of the
State
'An investigation of forest fires in
New Jersey has revealed the fact that
many citizens of the state take little in
terest in preventing the ravages of this
destructive agency, or, at least. do moi
become active in extinguishing such fires
until they have wrought appalling dam
age. With the exception of fires start
ed by railroad locomotives, forest fire
in practically every case is caused by
some careless man. In other words
it is nearly always due TO human agen-
/ cy. There is no good reason why this
evil should continue; for if every one
that lives in the woods, or goes into
them, would be careful and honest
there would be many less forest fires.
''To this end, therefore, an urgent ap-
peal is made to every good. law abiding
citizen to do what he can to educate his
thoughtless neighbors in this importan,
matter until a better condition of affairs
prevails. The law places certain re-
| strictions on the burning of brush etc
These restrictions have been made ne
cessary because such fires have FREE
quently been the direct cause of costly
forest fires.
1T will not be difficult to obtain 4
permit for burning brush, etc, from til,
township fire wardens, but it should b,
borne in mind that the mere possession
Of such permit does not relieve tht
holder of it from the consequences should
he allow his fire to endanger any othe
i property. The permit will simply max,
the ordinary man more careful and pre-
vent the irresponsible from causing end
less damage.
"As AN ounce Of prevention is wortl
a pound Of cure so is careful watcl
which prevents fires in the woods wortl
days Of labor and expense in putting ou
a fire that has been allowed to gain head
way. Bear in Eaind. then. that the peo
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