The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-08-06

Brings
Fines ToSo11e
Forest Officers Strict In
Furnishing Those Who
~ Are Careless, u.
TIMBER RESOURCES
MUST BE SAVED

m10OOOlA~-C mes tOtAln& 40V ana
costs Of $3.50 were levied during July
up TO July n against visitors to Region
One Of the national forests who forgot
to extinguish their campfires before
leaving them.
Five Of the campfires arose in the
st. Joe national forest in northern
Idaho, all in the vicinity of Avery and
all involving Spokane residents. Each
of the accused men, Bimp Hurd, Stan
Densow, c. B. Davis, r. E. Johnson and
Roy Asbury, was fined $40 and paid
costs Of s. They pleaded guilty be-
fore a justice of the peace at Avery.
The sixth campfire arose in the
Kootenai national forest in northwest
ern Montana, the abandoned fire burn
ing 100 square feet of land before it
was extinguished. John Katarzy of
Libby was arrested, arraigned in Libby
justice court and fined $40 and costs of
$3.50.
A Dangerous Practice.
The practice of leaving unextin-
guished campfires in forested lands is
exceedingly dangerous, especially when
the woods are as conducive to the
spread Of fires as they are at present
Some Of the most disastrous fires in
forest service annals have been started
by carelessly abandoned campfires.
G. |. Covington of Superior was fined
SIS in justice court for burning debris
in the Cabinet national forest without
a permit in violation Of state law. J. H.
Feiten of Plains, in the second, Cabinet
forest case, was fined SIS and costs of
$3.50 for setting fire to forest material
without securing permit. He pleaded
guilty in Plains justice court and $40
of his fine was suspended. Debris burn
ing on forest land is permissible in the
closed season, May to October l, only
after permit has been secured and
specified safety precautions are taken.
One theft charge is included in the
July cases. Donald Baney of Pierce,
Idaho, was fined SIS and costs of S. 40,
and sentenced to 80 days in jail, when
he admitted in Pierce justice court the
theft of gasoline from a government
tractor in the Clearwater national
forest.
Wins Initial Victory.
The government won an initial vic
tory in its $4,000 suit against the
Chicago, Milwaukee, ST. Paul & Pa
cific Railroad Company, arising out of
the Avery forest fire Of August 1884,
when Judge Cavanah of the United
States district court at Boise overruled
the railroad companys demurrer to the
complaint.
The governments suit for repayment
of fire suppression costs and for dam
age to national forest lands is based,
first, upon written promise by the
railroad company to the secretary of
agriculture to keep it's right of way
clear of inflammable materials, and,
second, on the Idaho state law requir-
ing railroads to keep their rights Of
way clear of inflammables during the
closed season. The promise to keep
the right of way clear Of inflammable
materials was given as consideration
for the grant by the government to the
railroad company of right of way
through its lands.
The Avery fire started on Milwaukee
railroad right of way, spread to pri-
vately owned land of the Northern Pa
cific Railway Company, and thence to
the national forest lands.
The railroad company in its demur-
rer claimed that the government had
not stated a cause Of action in its COM
y,1ainf