The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-02-18
REPORT OUT ON
FORESTRY WORK
W. R. Oates Discusses Situation.
Boost for Boy Scouts

william r. oates. state game. fish
and forestry warden, is distributing
the annual report of his forestry de-
mission Ii IN published. in book form
ana il a volume of rs pages, COW
cred in gray paper with characteristic
photographs. The report Is put out
under the, title. What Michigan Is
Now Doing in Regard 10 Forest Fire
Prevention" In II are featured the
inspection of locomotives and rail-
way rights Of way and the work of
the Michigan Forest Scouts, school
boy auxiliary fire wardens. The text
of the report is written By J. II. Me-
Gfllivray, of Osceola. deputy state
forestry warden. and formerly city
editor Of the Mining Journal.
In order that the report may get
more lhan the usual attention be-
tsowed upon statistical reports, Mr..
Oates has striven To give his report
color and human interest. II is pro-
fusely illustrated with photographs
showing the work the department is
doing. also the damage done by forest
fires i'm the past, contrasting the eff
fects of the departments efforts with
the negligence that formerly existed.
In his Introduction. Mr.. Oates says:
THAT the average statistical report
is tossed into the wastebasket or is
laid among the archives with cur
sorry perusal or none at all except in
the subjected matter. is known to all
of us by our individual treatment Of
them, that their formality-perhap
their guarded perfectness-robs them
of the interest which the subject Oft
on merits, is known or suspected.
1T is the purpose of this depart
ment in presenting this report on a
subject so vital to the welfare of the
people of this state, to garnish it
with human interest. at the possible
risk of being censured for departure
from ethics.
Interest in Prevention.
we desire To interest y0n in the
prevention of forest fires-it is "a true
matter for the interest of all the peo-
pie of Michigan.
I'VE desire particularly to interest
you in our recent Innovations for i'm
mediate benefits in fire prevention in
Michigan"
1t is apparent from a perusal of
the forestry warden's report that Mr..
oates values highly the work of the
Michigan Forest Scouts, volunteer
organization of some two thousand,
five hundred Michigan school boys.
He devotes an even half of his report
10 a discussion Of their work.
Regarding the value of Michigan
forests which have been destroyed by
fire. the report contains the follow
ing:
Based on figures compiled by the
American Lumberman. acknowledged
the highest authority on statistics of
lumber harvesting. the value of mer-
chantaDle timber alone. destroyed by
fire in Michigan since the advent of
the saWmill, (more than double Tn"
amount manufactured) would be APP
proximately. ten billions. of dollars"
Putting the value of these forests
INTO a figure which more readily con-
veys To the average mind the almost
inconceivable loss sustained i'm this
state by forest fires, the forestry war
den writes:
Let us plant a forest of metal trees
| on some area that fire has robbed Of
its pines. We would give each tree
a trunk of pure copper, branches of
pure silver. an exterior bark and
| leaves or needles of finest gold-we
| would plant acres and acres of such
| forest with the value of Michigan's
forest of wood which has been des-
| troyed by fire through what we may
| justly term the moral, criminal neg
| jgence of her citizens"
on the value of the understood
trees, saplings. and seedlings, Mr..
| Oates says:
Go to some piece OF forest not yet
ravaged by fire. For every mer-
charitable tree. (trees that can be
| utilized i'm the manufacture of lum-
Der, you will find several trees lack
ing in complete size. dozen lesser
| saplings and score of seedlings. The
pro-age value of such partial growth
that has already been destroyed by