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--~In July, 1911, the North country was again visited by a serious fire, known as'the Porcupine fire, in which eighty--four lives were lost and two million dollars® worth of timber was destroyed.= "In" July, '1916, "one of'the , most seriots forest firés in the history Banish the Patronage, In urging proper protection of the timber resources of the Province, Mr. C. M. Bowman, Liberal Whip, declared the Government should aim for'efliciency instead -- of > patronage. Competent fire rangers should be ap-- pointed instéad of young men who happened to be friends of Conserva-- tive members of the Legislature. The system now in operation was the most vicious system of party patronage one could inmiagine. ~Since 1906 thero had been three largoe and disastrous fires in the North country.© In 1910 in the Rainy River district forty lives bhad been lost and many square miles of timber -- destroyed. Notwithstanding that fire the Government continued its imperfect system of protection. Authority is taken in the bill to make regulations extending the close séason for the issue of permits or conditions that might be laid® down by the Chief Forester, conditions un-- der which fires may be set out, sasnd other ~points. A somewhat drastic and perbaps unusual power was be-- ing given to the Provincial Forester Where he found that an area had been improperly cleared ho can ro-- quire the licensee or owner to clear that in accordance with his direc-- tions, and in case of default of the owner he can undertake it under the department and collect the cost of the clearing. Power was also given to municipalities to apply . to --the Forester, and if the owner falled to clear when requested the municipsal-- ity may do the work and charga it up against the party iu his taxes. Real Time of Preservation. «Mr. C. M. Bowman (West Bruce) said unless the Department of Landsg, Forests and Mines completely revis-- ed the policy which has been in vogue in that department sinco 1905 the mere placing of this bill on the statute books of the Province would mean.very little so far as the better protection and preservation of tim-- ber reserves and forest areas are concerned. He claimed that under the system of fire--ranging and pro-- tection of Government reserves in-- stituted by ~the Liberals -- the larg-- est area which -- was destroyed on the &avernment reserves from 189% to 1995 was ono and a half acres. tion. G. Howard Ferguson, in movr-- ing the second reading 'of his bill to preserve the forests from destruction by fire, stated the measure provided Yfor the creation of fire districts and a eloso season within which timse fires @hall not be set out in the districts except under permit and under closo srgerflalon of the officer. It pro-- vides for the appointment of an of-- ficer known as the Provincial For-- ester, and in the practicar working out of the bill the northern country woauld be divided into three fire areas or districts and a supervisor would be appointed to take charge of each district. Under the supervisor would be & fire chief, each with his quota of fire--rangers. A departure of~ a eonsiderable extent has been m2ade for the purpose of the department taking entire charge of the fire pro-- tection. They would take responsi-- bility for the operation of the act and make a chargze upon the licensgoes and permit--holders as a contribution towards the protection of their in-- teresits, Drastic Powers to Forester. Hon. G. How ing the second preservo the fc by fire, stated The bill was given a second read-- iug, as was also that put forward by the Hon. Finlay Macdiarmid respect-- ing private, voluntary and municipal bureaus. _. The latter . bill, among ather things, gives the Superinten-- dgent of the 'Trades and Labor Branch closer supervision over pri-- vate employment bureaus. Preservation of Foresis. but would be taking the first steops in what may be the formation of a very important branch of municipal ~af-- fairs. 'The utmost care would. be taken in the selection of the respon-- wible head of the Bureau. #Home of them had already forr the subject of some consideration the Government. He 'had no doubt whatever that the House in passing ihls bill _vgo_uld.b_eA making no mistake, already formed | __Ia the opinton of Mr. Sceott Davidson l '(ant) closer : control should pe . maintained over the movements of the / ,'tire rangers. Ho declared that one' fire ranger during the month of June, | '1914, worked in Paris, Ontario, in the ' _Anterests of the Conservative cang; Hon. W.--fI.. Hovie and Mr, wW, o Chambers {West Wellington) dGefeni ed the policy of the Governmsnt. ir. Chambers deciared the Opposition speaketrs df4 nog know what they were talking about. He poked fun at the remarks of Mr. Bowman to the effect that there were no serious fires in the North country until the Conr-- servatives assumed office. Mr. Henry Morel (Nipissing) spoke briefly and gave figures showing how the staff of fire --rangers had been increaged from eighty in 1904 to fivoe hundred: last year, ~He «paid high tribute to the work of . Hon. Frank Cochrare and Hon. Howard Ferguson in connection with action taken : to provide the North country with fire.-- figlting forces and equipment, Increasing Rangers, warden who wou the Province and ecipalitiecs and the land. Mr. Mageau (Sturgeon Falls) also put the blame on the present Gov-- ernment. He contended the bill now beforo the House~ did fot go fayp enough because no provigion -- was made for immediate protection against fires which might break out. UHo thought they shHhOonlk anmnmneaktrikls anls Blames Government, Mr. G. °C. -- Hurdman (Ottawa) backed up the arguments of the Lib-- cral Whip, The legislation now be-- fore the House should have been in-- troduced years ago, he said. He se-- verely criticized the Government for its failure to take awdlequate meas-- ures to protect the people of New Ontario against bush fires. Mr. 'Bowman declared twenty--iwo. of the Teading Boards of Trades of the \Province had urged the Government. 'm reorganize its system before the ,fim of-- July, 1916, but nothing was done. The head of the department continued to play tha role of Rip Van Winkle. He followed this up with an | editorial from The Ottawa Journal, a leading Government paper, which commented on the recent fire and referred to the "criminal negligence of those responwible." In conclusion, Mr. Bowman said thd bill now t~e-' fore the Touse was a good onue, but . it was no good uniess the Govern--| ment completely changed its policy' and wiped out the vicious systsm cf ; .barty patronage now in vogueo in con-- | nection with northern Ontario fire | protection worl l YNew Ontario Deveélopment. td Mr. Charles McCrea (Sudbury») re-- | plied on behalf of the Governmont. Mr. Bowman, he. said, was not sin-- cere in this matter or he would not bave put his political spectacles on,. The trouble with Opposition speakers was that they possd as experts on northern Ontario matters, and they knew nothing about what they were trying to discuss. Mr. McCrea said it was not uintil the Conservative parity took holq of the reing that new On-- | tario was developed. With the--increase in population and prospecting and de-- FTelopment work going on there were bound to be fires. The protection sys-- tem carried on by the present Gov-- ernment was inherited from the Ross , Government, he declared. ° Laong Delayed TLegislation. no good unless the Government changed the system. The fire ranger system should be remodelled. "Theé fires which have taken place in North-- ern Ontario in 1910, 1911 and 12916 have taken place largoly because of tho fact that from the year 1906 the fire--ranging and protection was made the creature of the system of party patronage in this Province. It took almost an earthauaks in this Provinces to wake the Government up." Complete Change A 000,000 worth of 'property>»was -- de-- stroyed, and <264 lives were lost. In roply to Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Bowman said the: estimato regariing land and property was mado by the Canadian Forestry Association, of which the | Minister 'is Vice--President. =© ; Bystem is Wrong. | Ms. Bowman said the bill vow be-- fore the House was a good one, but the mere pasging of an act would do 7° _ AAmimleduiate protection res which might break out. it they should appoint a fire ho woulg be 'paid partly hy 316 Dal'tls;. b)r those who o y the muni-- owned hbush