KEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 93 



as is necessary. Usually they contain axes, shovels, grub hoes, 

 water buckets, water bags, ropes, etc. In some cases in remote 

 sections there is also a certain quantity of provisions, grain, pack 

 saddles, tents, etc. 



In the more remote Forests, where travel must be largely by trail, 

 it is necessary to have available pack horses to transport supplies 

 and equipment. It is exceedingly difficult in most regions to secure 

 horses at short notice. In the case of fire breaking out at a distant 

 point it is necessary not only to transport a crew of fire fighters 

 quickly but also to provide provisions for them. It is desirable, 

 therefore, that the less accessible Forests be provided with pack 

 trains with such equipment as is necessary to meet the requirements. 



The danger of the recurrence of such disasters as that of last sum- 

 mer's fires should be reduced to a minimum. Though it was unpre- 

 ventable under the conditions of the year, the day will come when it 

 would be counted preventable, and when under similar conditions it 

 would generally be prevented. This, however, can not be brought 

 about in a single year, nor in five years. It must be brought about 

 gradually by the upbuilding of a thoroughly organized system of 

 forest management. High organization of this sort can be attained 

 only step by step. It is no more possible under pioneer conditions 

 than is a highly organized private industry. What is demanded now 

 is that each year progress shall be made toward the ideal of completely 

 adequate protection. 



This means that each year, for one thing, the existing permanent 

 improvements should be extended. Not to extend them as fast as 

 opportunity is given would be criminal. The Forest vService is power- 

 less to provide them except as means are put at its disposal. Expend- 

 itures for equipping the Forests with roads, trails, telephone lines, 

 fire lines, and other improvements can be made only from the perma- 

 nent improvement fund. In the years 1907 to 1911 Congress made 

 available a total for this purpose of $1,975,000. The amount avail- 

 able in 1910 was S600,000; in the current year it is $275,000. There 

 are now on file carefully considered {)lans for specific permanent 

 improvements calling for an amount of work which the entire appro- 

 priation for tile Forest Service last year would hardly have paid for. 

 In view of the facts, I consider it my duty to ask for a substantial 

 increase of the permanent improvement fund. 



In every forest there is a certain amount of inflammable material 

 on the ground. Not only is there an accumulation of vegetable 

 matter on the surface of the ground, resulting from the annual fall 

 of leaves, but in the old uncared-for forests there is also a large amount 

 of fallen timber. In the virgin forests which have not been burned 

 this dead timber represents the accumulation of many years. There 

 are, however, many areas which have been burned over in the past 



