EDITORIAL 



HAWAIIAN FORESTS 



HAWAII has a general system of publicly owned 

 forest reservations, numbering 39, and coverin;^ 

 7"8,344 acres, of which 6ly2 per cent, is still ])ri- 

 vate holdings. These forests are indispensable to tlic 

 prosperity of the islands in protecting the slopes for the 

 conservation of water for irrigation on the dryer lower 

 slo])es and flats. The Board of I'ommissioners of -Vgn- 

 culture and Forestry in V>\5 appointed Charles S. 

 Jtidd, a technical forester with eight years' e-K])crience 

 in the National Forest Service, as superintendent of 

 forestry to succeed Ralph Vlosnier, also a trainc! for- 

 ester, under whom the work had been organized, and 

 who is now director of the College of Forestry at Cor- 

 nell. Rules have been adopted protecting the reserves 

 from illegal cutting or injury to timber, re{|uiring jier- 

 mits for stock grazing and for hunting wild animals, 

 prohibiting the pollution of streams and preventing the 

 squatting upon government lands. The water supply of 

 the city of Honolulu is given special protection, no one 

 without a permit being allowed on this area. Extensive 

 fencing projects have been undertaken against stock. A 

 volunteer fire-warden system is well e.stablished and ren- 

 dering efficient service, as the damage done by fire is very 

 serious and imiversally recognized. 



It is estimated that the algaroba, our native mesquite, 

 now covers 80,000 acres of the dryer lands. Forest ex- 

 tension is being pushed by the introductionof other valua- 

 ble trees, the maintenance of nurseries for tree seedlings, 

 by jilanting on government lands and by giving advice on 

 methods of tree cultivation. Eucalyptus species give great 

 |)romise. Many Philippine Fpecies are being tested and 

 others from India, New Zealand and Jamaica. An arbor 

 day has been established since 1905. Within two years 

 1,803,728 trees have been ]ilanted on private lands, half 

 iif which were cticalypiiis robusla, or swamp mahogany, 

 which grow-s anywhere, withstands wind, produces good 

 timber and fuel and is easily propagated from seed. Iti 

 other words, this great undertaking is being conducted 

 on a thoroughly efficient and progressive basis, free from 

 |)olitics. and if continued under its present form of or- 

 ganization bv which a trained technical and business 

 expert is given full charge of the activities of the de- 

 partment, with a board of directors to review his work 

 and advise him, it is inevitable that the public will reap 

 increasing benefits and that llie economic objects of the 

 administration will be fulK' a.ttained. 



THE NEW STANDARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE 



THIS generation is witnessing not alone a gigantic 

 struggle between the ancient superstition of autoc- 

 racy and the yf)Ung and vital jirinciple of democ- 

 racy and equality, but coupled with this in a manner 

 most confusing to clear thinking is the (|uestion of har- 

 monizing the apparently opposing tendencies of freedom 

 and efficiency. 



In a war which demands the concentration of every 

 ounce of the nation's strength, and the rapid and com- 

 plete organization of her entire economic structure, w-e 

 have recognized, as have our allies, the need of sur- 

 rendering our individual liberty of action to the directing 

 genius of experts in every line. For perhajis the first 

 time in our history the popular doctrine that the versatile 

 American can turn his hand to anything at a moinent's 

 notice has, at least in military affairs, given way to the 

 principle of thorougli preparation by tj-aining for the 

 duties ahead. 



The Prussian State has for two hundred years rec- 

 ognized that national efficiency is based on thorough 

 preparation, both in economic and military matters, but 

 has held that such preparation could only be secured by 

 an autocracy, in which the rulers and the ruling classes 

 possessed the expert knowledge, combined with the su- 



500 



perior wisdom which enabled them to guide the obedient 

 masses to the attainment of world domination. The 

 grim and Ijlighting success which has attended their aims 

 has taught the world not merely the necessity for crush- 

 ing once and for all a system of government which gives 

 the soul and willpower of a great nation into the keeping 

 of fiends devoid of human compassion, but it has brought 

 out the fact that efficiency, serving the common good and 

 directed 1)V the combined will and intellect of deiuocracy, 

 is the only protection against brutal aggression. 



How does this lesson strike home to us? National 

 efficiency in private business has been maintained on a 

 fairly high plane, — but, in ])ublic affairs we have frankly 

 failed in a large measure. In the place of economy and 

 skilled direction of vast public enterprises, we have en- 

 dured conditions of uns])eakable incompetency, waste and 

 vicious graft. Why is there such a contrast? How long 

 can we tolerate conditions which we now know to be not 

 only unscientific, but suicidal? 



The cause is not far to seek. We have applied the 

 idea of freedom and equality to our management of public 

 affairs in such a manner that the only cinalifications for 

 responsible positions were popularity and the ability to 

 swing votes. Offices went as rewards to political ad- 



