822 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



returning prodigal — the son who says to his father — 

 "Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither trans- 

 gressed I at any time thy commandment ; and yet thou 

 never gavest me a kid that 

 I might merry with my 

 friends" and goes to church 

 rather for the comforting 

 reassurance, in Heu of a 

 surprise party and fatted 

 calf — "Son, thou art ever 

 with me, and all that I have 

 is thine." 



Hence, the architect of 

 a s u c c e ssful Unitarian 

 meeting-house must, by 

 subtle architectonic expres- 

 sion, set forth the scenario 

 of the faith — that, in spite 

 of the terrible handicap 

 that has been placed upon 

 poor human nature, even 

 though God either cannot 

 or will not be merciful to 

 all men from the human 

 standpoint, we can be, and 

 intend to be, though indeed 

 it demands, as Robert 

 Louis Stevenson says on the 

 illuminated cards — "all that 

 a man has of fortitude and 

 delicacy." 



The architect must make 

 the world appear less tragic 

 than it is, by a meeting- 

 house at once distinctive and 

 graceful, one whereby we may forget for the moment 

 that there are some very disagreeable things in this 

 beautiful world to conceal. He must have the atmos- 

 phere produced by agnes of Unitarian sacrifice and devo- 

 tion. He wants to inclose some holy ground that those 

 who habitually wear muddy shoes, may be seeking the 



THE ENTRANCE 



This photograph reproduces faithfully the detail of the entrance — 

 beautiful in its simplicity, homelike and inviting. 



old-fashioned scraper at the threshold. He wants the 

 feeling of great age and veneration in his building, for 

 the confidence in our good deeds it inspires. He wants 



the tranquility of twilight 

 for the flood of memories 

 and historic associations 

 that come with it. He 

 wants to make believe that 

 the meeting-house is a res- 

 toration rather than a new 

 building, and that it has al- 

 ready stood upon its site 

 for a century or two, that 

 the old square pews have 

 remained the property of 

 the diflferent families for 

 generations, still with 

 enough and plenty to go 

 'round (even if there real- 

 ly isn't) universal respecta- 

 bility and bienseance. He 

 wants to make believe that 

 there is no grim want to 

 dishearten us, are no skele- 

 tons to be ashamed of, no 

 black sheep to dread, no 

 don't-miss-anything r e 1 a - 

 tives to scandalize, no mili- 

 tarists to organize, harness 

 and drive the weak-minded, 

 no pacifists, and that when 

 Sunday mornnig comes 

 again, we are free to re- 

 pair to the same old pew 

 where our father, grand- 

 father and great-grandfather knelt, before us, glad to 

 join in the responses and litanies as of yore — 



"O God, who by Thy Son hast redeemed the 

 world—" 



And these are the spiritual needs we have endeavored 

 to meet by the art of the new meeting-house. 



SECRETARY HOUSTON URGES PROTECTION OF THE FORESTS 



/^ REATER conservation of wood and wood products 

 ^^ through protection of the raw material in the forests 

 of the United States, is urged by Secretary Houston, of 

 the Department of Agriculture. The secretary's annual 

 report also advocates provisions for pushing more rapidly 

 the improvement work in the forests, for a greater num- 

 ber of forest guards, and for earlier organization each 

 fire season of the protective system. 



It is declared that protection of the forests during the 

 present year proved an exceptionally difficult task. An 

 annual strain was imposed on an organization somewhat 

 depleted in numbers and much weakened by the loss of 

 many of its most experienced men. Added to this was 

 the difficulty of securing good men for temporary ap- 



pointment as guards during the fire season, and parties 

 of men for fighting large fires. An unusually early and 

 severe dry season caused the outbreak of serious fires 

 before the summer protective organizations were fully 

 ready. 



The Department declares that some embarrassment in 

 meeting the situation was caused by the failure of the 

 annual appropriation act to pass Congress until after the 

 fire season was virtually over. Relief was furnished by 

 the President, who placed $1,000,000 at the Secretary's 

 disposal as a loan from the President's emergency fund. 

 It may be necessary, the Secretary says, to seek from 

 Congress again a deficiency appropriation of $750,000. 



