The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-01-10
H. 80 - Ix.-.-- >4a=.&ss
BREEzES DECREE
SAXON SMOKING
Forest Travellers Must Not Puff
If Wind Is Wrong.
BUT LIBERTY IS TRIUMPHANT

Putting Responsibility on Tobacco
Devotees New Feature, and Covered
Pipe Is No Longer Legal Necessity.
Citizens Still Forced to Fight Fires
For Kingdom.
How is this for an example of per
sonal liberty triumphant?
You may smoke on the roads run.
ming through the forests of Saxony.
Germany, if you are reasonably eau
tons.
Understand, this is a privilege that
in the interests Of conservation for
many years was arbitrarily denied I'M
less you used covered pipe Now
you don't have to have the covered
pipe. You may smoke a meerschaum
or clay. You may smoke Havana
filler or a stogie, Turkish cigarette
or piece Of rope If you choose, the
only proviso being that the devotee of
my Lady Nicotine shall avoid danger
Of fire by considering the following
matters:
Season Of the year.
How recently it ratned or showed.
Direction of the wind.
Velocity Of the wind.
Width Of. the road.
Character Of the underbrush.
Condition Of leaves or needles on ground
Anything else that would tend to justify
HaS apprehension Of IRE.
That's all. It Deed no longer be said
that government does not place conf
dance In the intelligence and faithful
ness Of the average citizen. Here is
evidence Of that confidence, and it is
contained in a recent Issue Of the con-
sular reports published in Washington.
Forests Objects Of Jealousy.
The Saxons give Jealous protection to
their forests. AS result, fires are sur
prisingly rare, according to Consul
Carl Bailey Hurst at Plauen. When a
IRE breaks out, usually as a result of
lightning, there is regulation Of 1876
years standing which directs all In
habdtants OF the nearest haInlets or vii
lagos to assemble at once at the scene
Of eonhagration with axes, hatchets,
E1attocks, shovefs or other effective i'm
pfements prepared to fight the flames.
The German federal law provides a
maximum fine of $50 marks C3570) to
be imposed ON any one who will not
assist in putting out fires when called
upon by police authorities, and the
Judge in INJECTING the penalty does not
have to inquire whether the kind of
help demanded was either suitable or
necessary. AS the country is thickly
populated, there never is scarcity of
fire fighters to attack any blaze which
may break out.
A new forest law which went into
effect in Saxony last year Furnishes
with a fine not exceeding 60 marks
CHAPS or with Imprisonment not ex-
ceeding two weeks whoever shall enter
a forest or go near one with an IN
guarded fire or hight in any manner in
yolving risk.
Velocity of Wind Important.
That is where the triumph of-person-
al liberty comes In. That is how it is
possible for a smoker TO take his weed
In his teeth and boldly march through
a forest road, provided only that he
measure the velocity of the wind, de-
ternine Its direction and otherwise
look about him as already indicated.
The experience Of the state forest SUI
pervisors has been, according to the re-
port, that there Is no need Of sweeping
prohibition Of smoking or rule per-
hitting only the use Of covered pipes.
It is held that there is no danger from
smoking on forest roads IN wet sea-
sons, during rain or snow storms or
shortly thereafter. A man must use
bis judgment But throwing away
burning cigar ends is contrary to law