Preventing Forest Fires

reople who live among our forests have seen them burn so often, while no effort was made to ascertain the cause or punish the carelessness or criminality of the incendiary, that they have naturally come to consider forest property ia a class by itself, vith no right to proteotion against flre, üke a d welling-house or other property. Not until these views are radically changed, says Garden and Forest, and it is appreciated that a forest fire, f rom lts possible magnitude, ig the worst possible flre, will legislation be of substantial value. What such legislation should be in its essence il wefi set forth in a circular to lumbermen prepared by B. E. Yeïnow and sent out by the department of agriculture. An efficiënt law will assuine that organizad machinery must be prorided to make it effective, and slnce the damage done by forest fires extends beyond mere private and personal loss the state must be represented by some ona empowered to organizo a fire service. Responalbility for the execution of the law must rest upon this executive head, and facilities for prosecuting offenders munt be at his command. Nothing like any voluntary service can be trustee!. Officials must be paid and must be held responsible for care in performing their duties and obfldience to regulations. ïhis point cannot be insisted upon too strongly. Protection against fires will coat money, and this fact must be recognized at the outset. Again, the common interest in the protection of property must be recognLted by creating financial üability for its enforcement on the part of the community and its members - that 18, each county, for example, must be obliged to pay into the state treasury a oertain sum for every aero burned over each year, as a ftre indemnity f umi, to be applied to the maintenance of the system and for tha paymant of damages to those whose property has been burned without Í neglect on their own part. A law basad on uoh principies is now In foroe In Maine, and the people of that state are provlng that it can ; be mada effectív.