406 



ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRlCULrUHE. 



under varying conditions and the character of evidence which should 

 be submitted to establish a reasonable prospect that unused portions 

 would be used for mail transportation within a reasonable time. 

 This memorandum, known as Engineering Memorandum No. 5, has 

 proved very helpful. 



WEEKS FORESTRY LAW. 



[36 Stat., 961.] 



Although the area of lands acquired under the Weeks forestry law 

 during the year is not as large as in the fiscal year 1917, it was 

 greater than in any other year since the law has been in operation. 

 The diminution in acreage acquired during the year was due very 

 largely to war conditions, which drew from the work of examining 

 titles four of the title attorneys and a number of experienced stenog- 

 rajjhers and typewriters; and the United States attorneys were un- 

 able to devote as much attention to their reports upon the titles be- 

 cause of increased work cast upon them by various recent statutes 

 affecting the prepavation for and conduct of the war. 



On account of congestion of work in the offices of the United 

 States attorneys, the National Forest Reservation Commission has 

 restricted the consideration of new purchases of lands to those within 

 various areas heretofore established by the commission and to such 

 bordering lands as were deemed necessary for the proper administra- 

 tion of the national forests to be established. 



The following is a summary, in terms of acres, of operations under 

 the Weeks law from the beginning to June 30, 1918 : 



Operations under the Weeks forestry' law frnin the beginning to June 30, 1918. 



i Includes 13,656.68 public lands. 



I 



