The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-11-12
Two Bills Being Drawn Along These
Lines, one Providing Supervisor
System to Cost$125, 900
BEMIDJI MEETING BIG SUCCESS
Auditor lverson, Editor Hughes and
Others Make Important Suggest
ions for New Towns.

Twenty five experts working under
the direction of a chief forest super
visor, each man patroling twenty
townships, is the most important
provision of a forest protection bill
now being drafted as result o. the
meeting in Bemidji yesterday. The
bill is being drawn up by State
Auditor Iverson and C. F. Marshall,
U. S. forest supervisor of Cass
Lake, and it proposes system of
safety which will cost the state
approximately $125,0O0 per annum
to organize, equip and execute.
Only cruisers and expert timber
men will be employed as forest
supervisors and they will be EN-
ployed under civil service rules.
When not employed in fores: fire
work they will classify the state
land as to soil and merchautable
timber.
A second bill, having for its pur-
pose additional assurance against
possible forest fires is being drawn
by committee composed of
Ascher Murray of Wadena, w. R.
Mackenzie of Bemidji, C. R. Craig
of Duluth, H. J. Hughes of
Minneapolis and c. S. Jameson,
of Little Fork. This measure will
be known as the good roads bill
and its details will. follow the
judicial ditch law as far as appli.
cable. All work is to be done
under the supervision of the state
highway engineer and state high
way commission. An appropria
ton of $4,000 per year is pro-
vlded.
A. J. Mcclure was chairman of
the Bemidji meeting w. R. Mac
kenzie acted as secretary. The
following were present in addition to
those names yesterday: J. A. Hen
bricks, Fosstop; T. J. Welcb, Be-
midi; C. P. Craig, Duluth; D. M.
Neill, president of the Red Wing
Commercial Club; H. N. Clark, Be-
midi; A. G.. Wedge, president, Be-
midi Commercial Club; Congress-
man STEVENSON, Crookston; Prof. w.
P. Dyer, and w. E. Neal, of Bemidji.
One of the features Of the gather
ing was the frank admission of w.
H. Gemmel, General Manager of
the Minnesota & International R
R., that the railroads are to blame
for some of the fires which have
ragged through the forests but he
declared that the railroads had
been unjustly accused inasmuch
as they were not to blame for all
the fires of which they have been
accused OF setting. He said that
the railroads would be glad to
have the problem solved for them
as forest fires were no more profit
able to railroads than any one else.
at would be poor policy on the
part of a railroad to cause the de
vastation of the country traversed
by it, to say nothing of the damage
suits which would be brought, I"
said Mr.. Gemmel.
Al Kaiser, the Bagley banker,
offered the suggestion that the
proper protection could only be
had by the construction OF ditch
made roads.
State Auditor Iverson addressed
the meeting and declared the prob
lens peculiar to northern Minnesota
demand ample and efficient fire pro-
lection, state appropriations for the
construction and maintenance of
roads and of the reduction of indi-
vidual burden of supporting rural
school in districts where untaxed
state lands render an extension of
the school system commensurate
with the development of the country
practically impossible.
Mr.. Iverson was strong in his dec
laration for thoroughly organized
fire protection and advocated the ex-