The farmer and mechanic., 1915-07-27
COOPERATION IN THE WORK OF
FORESTFlRE PREVENTION
Read by John Riis, of Winston Salem. Before the
Forestry Conference at Montreat.)

Gnu CIV Hielnod or cooperation with the !
STATE varies SO much in the different |
Sea.es as 10 prohibit any detailed de-
scrlptiOn IN this paper. Some of the
otate nre laws are far-reaching In
oregon, under what is known as the
compulsory Patrol Law. every tim
| per-land owner is requested to fur
| nlsh adequate patrol on his land, sub
| lect TO the approval of the State
| Board Of Forestry Failure 10 do
this brings patrol by the state the
expense thus incurred being assessed
against the owner in the form of
taxes and collected by the county.
| Naturally, the cost of providing
patrol on small areas is prohibitive.
and the small owner is urged to join
a local or county patrol association
ana contract with it for the patrol of
his land. Cooperative patrol is the
only way out for the small owner.
Cooperation is the basis Of any
efficient system of fire patrol-co-
operation between the public the
tmberman, the State and the Gov
. ernment. A we'll organized and ac-
tive forest fire patrol association is
the best publicity channel and educa-
tOnal medium for arousng interest
in better forestry that 1 know Of
, ! The change of attitude on the part
! OF the public in the West within the
, last few years, is most gratifying
1 |
, | fire-warden is gone and it is not un-
! common for the patrolman to re-
ceive dozen reports on a fire from
= | settlers, where. in former years, he
: | had none.
y The change is largely due to the
= work Of the timbermen's patrol asso
. Citations. You need some such inf1u
= ence here in the North State You
!, fires are as numerous. your losses ar,
- as great, as those in the West, though
e perhaps not SO Immediately appar
!, ent; where our loss is visible in tn
- destruction Of mature timber, your
y lies in killed reproduction and il
= merchantable trees made susceptible
to the inroads Of insects and disease
- In closing, let me say that / hop
- the members of this association vii
get solidly behind the State Foreste
in his fight for forest protection an
* make an organized effort to bring it
~ Importance before the people of tn
T. State, for no county, State or Fed
- eral organization can do good Wor
without the cooperation Of the pub
~ =. lie. 1t is no longer a question as
- the need for fire protection. The
!, has been solved throughout the Wes
y and even just over your borders.
er Kentucky and West Virginia, wher
u are doing good work. Your fine REQ
u ord shows that the ma ajority of you
es fires are due to carelessness, the r.
ny suit of ignorance, for few men Wi
n n Intentionally mar the beauty Of thes
IT. hills. Make fire protection yo,
u hobby; post your timberlands wit
~ fire warnings, your logging caml
~. with fire rules; equip your donkt
le. engines with spark arresters; preae
rs the gospel of fire protection on IL
'es back of your business envelopes.
-. your local papers, through your w
IL, ,he, fl1N 20,
Of h,,nter ond The oa,oner th.t feul
i! fires means more wages, better crop
81 better health, and lower taxes. al
,is' he will soon get behind you. Tea
le the public to take care Of that whi'
ie. Nature has given you, and fore
'ns nurseries and planting stations will
~ " unnecessary.