The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-10-08
BLAINE URGES
FIGHTING FIRE
Governor Launches Fire
Prevention Week With
Address Today.
NEGLIGENCE IS CAUSE

Pembine, Wis = From 80 to
95 per cent of fires arise from human
negligence, according to official fig
ures presented here today by Gov
ernor John Blaine who spoke before
the meeting for the prevention and
SUPPRESSION of fires.
"The main cause of forest fires"
the Governor declared, fare, in the
order named, land clearing, campers
and smokers, railroads and logging
operations. The prevention of fires,
therefore is human problem, a man
problem.
Legislation does not prevent fires.
You may pass all the criminal laws,
imposing the heaviest penalties, even
longtime imprisonments, and such
laws will not prevent fires. There can
be no conviction unless the fire fiend
is detected and detection is difficult.
Moreover, forest fires are not often
due to intentional or criminal negli-
gence. They are due to thoughtless-
ness and Observation-Disclosures
on the part of the individuals even as
to their own property, and more so
to the property of others.
Touches Forest Fire Problem.
II need not waste your time in dis
cussing the tremendous loss due to
forest fires, a loss particularly to
northern Wisconsin,, and generally q
loss to- the state at large.
"The problem therefore, is how to
devise ways and means for the pre-
vention of forest fires. If that prob
lem can be successfully solved, at
least if the major destructive fires
can be prevented, then REPRESENTATION
through natural processes becomes
an accomplished fact, as the nature of
the forest is process of growth and
decay. All forests, primeval or other
wise, become self-perpetuating if the
hands of men will desist from their
RUTHLESS destruction.
Forest fire prevention involves
first the detection and the extinguish-
ment of incipent fires. Along this line
the state can do much, is doing much,
and will do more, as these meetings
that have been called promote CO.
operation and stimulate individual
self-interest in the preservation of
your property.
Tells of New Law.
"At the last session of the legisla-
ture there was authorized the estab-
lishment of special forest fire protec-
ton districts. Six have been estab-
lished and others are proposed. Fiji
teen towers have been erected by the
state, and three by cooperating tim
ber-owners, together with several
hundred miles Of telephone lines con-
Meeting them to headquarters. Addi-
tional work of state organization, and
Aequipping is going ahead rapidly.
Northern Wisconsin is 800 miles
from the capitol of our state. deemed
| IT quite important and appropriate
to move the state capitol to the six
forest districts during fire prevention
week. Your officers have come here
| to give assistance and in turn, they
ask assistance.
II know, as you know, that you men,
whether you are settlers, lumber
operators, summer resort keepers,
railroad men, or city folks, will ac-
complish more at these conferences
than can be accomplished by volumes
| of legislation.
Cooperation Is Needed.
at is not Investigation that we
need; it is cooperation. 1t is the
application of your intelligence and
your interests to the pr-ctical prob
lem of preventing forest fires. The
object of these conferences is to ap-
ply that composite knowledge in q
complete organization of the several
fire districts and the several com.
| munities involved. The next inn
portant step is the suppression Of
forest fires and that problem involves
intelligence; skill, and perhaps the
highest requirement is the co-opera-
ton of every citizen of every fire pre-
yention district in the state. To the
Sc luton of that problem, it is the
purpose of these conferences to or
game every forest fire district and
every community in these districts. A
large part of the propaganda on con-
servation has been maudlin and senti-
mental, offering no practical solution
| This conference, I know, will recog-
nize the facts and not be blinded into
sense of security through an ava
lanche of alleged conservation propa-
ganda."