The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-12-10

tions in their districts. They should
watch the weather conditions and
give orders where it is necessary and
safe to burn. brush and. clean land
In their districts. -.
We must bear in mind that our
state is draining q lot OF our swamp
lands. Such lands must be protected
in dry weather from catching fire as
it is next to i'm mpossible to put the
fires out after they get started on
such lands. The timber companies
and railroads are logging and cutting
heavily over their lands to: save the
timber from being burnt. This cut
ting leaves great slashings and brush
piles and also helps to dry the land.
This makes it more dangerous than
heretofore and unless the proper steps
are taken by the state to protect
the country from forest fires, the
farmers already on the ground in
many places will be compelled to
move out instead of bringing new set
tiers in.
"The railroads should be compelled
to patrol their rights of way and, be
subject to heavy fines from getting
forest fires.
II believe the railroads have been
responsible for nearly Is per cent Of
our forest fires in the northern part
of the state of late years.
Last summer during the dry sea-
son, I noticed by my own observa-
ton after every heavy train there was
streak of fire left behind. The
sparks sometimes fly and set fires
outside their rights Of way Very
little was done by the companies
outside of protecting their own pro-
perties to put out fires, The spark
arresters that are now supposed to be
used are no good. One Of the dis
trict managers of one of the rail-
roads told me personally that they
could not have the screens fine
enough to prevent sparks from going
through as it would interfere with
the draft and they could not keep up
steam. 1 understand that in some
eastern states, the railroads use crude
oil for fuel in the dry season. That
could possibly be done here.
1.-The main thing is to stop the rail.
roads from setting fires, or ali our
efforts will be Of no avail.
would it not be possible to COM
bine our Forestry and Game and Fish
Department? 1t is done in some Of
our eastern states and in many Of
the foreign countries. This would
lessen the expense as one man could
act as both game and fire warden.
Raise Funds from Licenses.
"Our legislature should pass law
to make every one that wants to
hunt game and birds in our state to
pay license fee Of one dollar for re-
sidents and twenty-five for outsiders
This would give the department q
revenue of possibly .$125,00o% to $780,
600 annually, which with small ad-
dition from the state would give US
g respectable fund to start with. The
license fees alone would take care Of
the office, and about one hundred
fire rangers or wArdens,, which would
make a nice little army of fire fighters
without much extra expense to the
taxpayers. ~,,...' ,yttst3
There should be one experienced
and competent man at the head OF
the forest and game department.; also
one chief. assistant whose duty it
would be to occasionally make q call
upon the local wardens to see that
they are doing their duty. There
should be q sufficient emergency fund
and the railroads should bescompelled
to discontin setting forest ores.
ut can be done.