Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-13
Especial to the Newark start

Reservation Commission. in its annual
report, makes an appeal for greater
protection of the forests of the state
and says that it is useless TO advocate
forest planting or to urge that wood
lands be cared for 50 long as no as
eurance can be given that the venture
and investment viii not go up in smoke
This latter deduction is based on the
extent Of forest fires in New Jersey
during 1898, when COS such fires were
reported, laying waste 91.340 acres and
causing a financial loss of ss49.2S9, as
against $50 fires the preceding year and
a loss of $64, $50. During the past year
the cost of the fire service in forests
was $1S.466. To prevent duplication OF
these losses of the past two years
the commission pleads for greater fire
protection.
On the general proposition of the
value of forest lands, the commission
says the property, as an undeveloped
resource, deserves wide consideration,
no matter who owns 1t, for it will yield
taxes in proportion to its earning
power. The report says that the forest
property is literally crying for a chance
to grow. The commission defines its
present work as an effort to increase
the value of forests; to confirm and
strengthen forest interests and to make
it worth while to practise forestry
With greater protection for forest
owners from fires, the commission be-
lieves that the revenue from this source
will eventually add between $1,000 00
to $50, 600, 900 to the ratables of the State.
1t is added that the fires of h past
have been due to natural and un-
natural conditions. Under the latter,
carelessness of individuals and corpora
tfons is classed. The commission says
that without the limited fire fighting
service of the past year the total loss
would have been anywhere from $500,
coo to $1,12S, 600, the records of 1898 and
1885, respectively.
THAT most of this land is in private
possession is no eason to ignore it"
says the commission. "As an unde-
veloped resource the forests deserve
wide consideration, no matter who
owns them, for they will yield taxes in
proportion to their earning power. In
Il NOIds ANCN OCi0Ss hSSo9 NVCN' 'N
Fairgrounds and revenue. All these in
different degrees the forest will furnish,
and the forest everywhere is literally
crying for the mere chance to grow.
So bountiful is nature that on the hills
of North Jersey, as well as on the pine
land of South Jersey, trees of many
kinds grow naturally and with remark-
able vigor when fire is kept away.
Planting is necessary only where all
the seed trees are gone.
THE present aim of the Forest Com
mission is to increase the value of the
forests that we have rather than to
make more forests; to confirm and
strengthen private forest interests
rather than to acquire and develop
large forest properties for the State; to
make it better worth the while of any
citizen to practise forestry than to neg
lect his woodland. 1t is firmly believed
that a reasonable degree of immunity
from fire will bring this about and will
eventually add anywhere from S2,000,00
to 800, 900, 900 to the total ratables.
Forest fires are the products of
natural conditions, which make the
woodland more or less inflammable, and
human carelessness. We are learning
slowly and at a frightful cost that
when droughts and high winds prevail,
as they have during the past umlner
and spring, extraordinary precautions
alone will prevent serious fires. There
is not the slightest doubt that all
classes OF people are more careful about
fire in the woods than they used to be,
but they are not careful enough. 1t is
also practically certain that without
the present fire service the fires this
year would have equalled i'll destruc-
tiveness those Of 1896, when the total
loss was $500, 600, or 1855, when it was
$1,12s,0o
THE efficiency OF the present service,
faulty though it be, is well shown when
it is found that of the sos fires reported
II per cent. burned less than one acre,
80 per cent. less han 10 acres, 50 per
cent. less than 100 acres, 81 per cent
less than 500, SO per cent. less
than 1000 acres, and only ? per
cent. more than 1000 acres. If the six
teen largest fires, representing those
that got beyond control through acct
dent or faultiness of the fire service, be
excluded, the average area burned by
each fire drops from 245 acres to 164
acres. And this presentation is legiti-
mate. for while a big fire may occur at
any favorable time, as in cities, the la
bility always ~diminishes as the means
of controlling small fires are improved
Zone of the facts brought by tho
years report is that comparatively few
fires are now caused by brush burning
or clearing land. Formerly from one
fourth TO one-third Of the forest fire!
We're caused by careless burnings oil
this kind and in many States the evil
still exists. During the year seventy
two fires were reported from brusf
burnings, or only IL per cent. Of the
total number, and in nearly every case
the offender was caught and punished
The requirement of the law that, II
townships having fire wardens, every
one who wants to burn near a forest
shall get a permit from the fire warder
works little hardship and prevent.
many fires. Its general observance is
shown by the fact that 1858 permit,
were issued in 1909.
THE railroads are grievous sinners
and this year set no less than Isl fores'
fires. From this account are excluded
all fires which are merely supposed Il
have started from locomotives. The
number represents only those Of which
there is some direct evidence and is 2
per cent. Of the total number and 4
per cent. of the number whose cause
Is known. This is a serious indictment
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