Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-13
Mayor Viles' Statement.

Mayor Blaine S. Viles has given out
the following statement in regard to
the purchase. of fire extinguishec
equipment by him while Forest Com
missioner s.. e..
Editor kennebec Journal:
Considerable has been said recent
ly in regard to the purchase of fire
eXtinguisher equipment l hope that
everyone intends to be entirely fair in
this matter, although much that has
appeared in print has been untrue
and misleading
When the Legislative order for an
investigation of my administration Of
the office of Forest Commissioner was
introduced it seemed to me best for
the public to gain it's information
from that official source, but a Demo-
cratic House in open session decided
that there was nothing to investi-
gate. The order was unanimously
turned down. : '4't 2 800 s.
Among fair men of all political
parties that should have ended the
matter, but as certain writer's have
continued to make reference to mat
ter which the Legislature refused to
take up, l have decided to make =
plain statement of facts, that my
friends who do not know the cir
cumstances may not be misled.
In the beginning it is but fair to
state something Of the duties of the
Forest Commissioner. He is charged
with the protection of about nine and
Qne-half million acres Of forest land
from fire. This property is probably
| worth between seventy-five and one
hundred million dollars. The forests
are of the utmost importance to the
State. They regulate the flow of
rivers, protect water powers. furnish
a home for the fish and game, yield
,, enormous amounts Of timber, give
employment to thousands of men, anil
make the state of Maine a good place
to live in The protection of these
forests Is one of the most important
conservation matters before the peo
pie today.
Up to within few years the i'm
portance Of preventing forest fires
has not been fully appreciated, but
recently as their value has been real
| lied and as the timber supply of the
State has gradually decreased. a
| great deal Of attention has been paid
to the subject.
| The wild land owners of the State
are assessed a tax of one and one
half mills for fire protective pur
poses and this fund, amounting to
about seventy thousand dollars year.
| ly is at the disposal Of the Forest
| Commissioner.
improvements are being made each
year in the service, for it will be APP
preciated that the protection Of nine
and one-haif million acres Of forest
property requires suitable equipment
and improved methods.
During the two years that l was
Forest Commissioner many improve
ments were made. The number Of
| lookout stations was increased from
| q to So. Over 300 miles of telephone
| line was constructed, and thousands
of dollars were invested in tools and
these distributed. Many new fea-
lures were added and during these
two years the forests of Maine suf-
fered very small damage by fire. New
steel towers were erected on noun
tdiIlS LOT loOhOuI pun poocS' GULL :
Portable camps for watchmen and
wardens constructed, and the service
was brought up to a high degree Of
efficiency.
Numerous new appliances were
considered and it was thought that
some form Of fire extinguisher should
! be adopted. It was thought that the
| camps on the mountains, which had
been constructed at considerable ex-
pense and are removed from water
and liable to destrution by fire, should
be protected and also that patrolmeu
travelling localities where fires are the
most likely to occur should have some
means Of extinguishing small fires.
I shall not here discuss the merits
Of various extinguishers but will say
that the powder form was considered
practical for woods use. The pur-
chase was under consideration more
than year. and l had planned last
season to buy some extinguishers for
use this year. The State administra-
ton changed the first of the present
year and 1 deferred purchasing the
same thinking that my successor
would be appointed. Time went on
and no appointment was made and
the time came when it was necessary
to place the order as considerable
special equipment was to be In
'cluded 70 that everything would be