Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-02-07

"On the 100000 acres of timber
lands controlled by the public domain
commission steady and appreciate
progress has been made in the care
of the forests" said Warden Cakes.
I'm the separate reserves of Luce,
Roscommon, Houghton and Grand
Traverse counties the best methods of
the federal forest service in reforest-
(ation, fire prevention and encourage
ment of sapling and older growths are
in use. Watch towers and fire lines
guard the danger points of heavy
ground litter which is under constant
surveillance during the dry season.
Summing it up, it is conservative
to assert that the net results of forest
fires in Michigan in 1912 has proven
for the first time in 60 years, a benefit
rather than a loss. This conclusion
does not warrant any feeling of real
security in the control of forest fires
in the future, for it is evident to all
familiar with the situation that with
out the aid of supplementive agencies
the provisions made by the state would
be grossly inadequate. The indepen-
dent patrol by the lumbermen has no
positive guarantee of continuance and
the scout work of the school boys is
the result of patriotism which this de-
partment can ask for but not COM
mand In the counties of Ontonagon,
Marquette, Dickinson, Delta and Luce
there are more square miles of fire
trap slashings guarded by a state fire
fund of $4,000 than in the entire state
of Minnesota where the annual fire
fighting fund is more than 100000.
Dangerous Slashings in Counties.
"In the lower peninsula, Cheboygan,
Charlevoix, Presque Isle, Montmor-
ency, Crawford, Kalkaska, Missaukee
and Wexford counties contain large
areas of dangerous slashings, which
are a continual menace to life and
property. Bisecting the farm lands
of Altoona and Iosco counties is an
other large area of intermittent
slashings.
"This department comedies it as
possible that conditions might OBJ
tain, following prolonged summer
drouth, when numerous fires original
ing in Cheboygan, Charlevoix and
Presque Isle counties, famed by con-
tinuous high winds, might join in
lake-to-lake wave of flame and
sweeping southwark, leaving wake
of devastation and death surprising
in horror previous holocausts. Condl-
tions cited might bring a similar con-
flagration in the upper peninsula,
originating in Marquette, Ontonagon
or Luce counties.
In his report to the governor,
Warden Oats embodies the follow
ing recommendations to the legisla
ture: Law providing for continuous
daily patrol of the dangerous slash
ing areas of the fire districts during
the dry season; law providing that
the department may arbitrarily name
the number of patrolmen which will
be assigned to logging and other rail
ways, wherever their lines do not con-
form the legal regulations Of cleared
right of-way, such patrolmen to be
employed by railroads at their ex-
pense; law providing penalty for non
posting of fire warning placards by
railroad companies; provision for the
legal standardization of front end
mesh; that all locomotives in service
in the forest district of the state, dur
ing the dry season, shall be equip
ped with wire mesh of net less than
number 10 steel wire and not more
than three-sixteenths inches square,
or with perforated oblong steel plates
not more than three-sixteenths by one
and one-sixth inches in length, and
that such equipment shall be installed
on strong angle irons, fitted to the in
terror of front end in a manner to
pass the department Inspections; pro-
vision is especially urged exempting
from taxation for limited time any
private lands which may be set aside
for reforestation; provision that no
person shall set or cause to be set
any fire for the purpose of clearing
any lands in the state of Michigan Of
any combustible material, except with
the consent of the forestry warden,
one of his deputies, or the supervisor
of the township in which said clear
ing is to be accomplished; that in the
unorganiZed township consent may be
obtained from the supervisor Of any
adjoining township or the state for
estry warden or one of his deputies.