BEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 243 



the principal source of information concerning the lands suitable for 

 inclusion in forests by presidential proclamation was the Bureau of 

 Forestry. In gathering that information the foresters of the depart- 

 ment raced against a swarm of timber cruisers in private employ. A 

 corps of efficient public servants has been built up. Business methods 

 serving the convenience of users have been worked out. A protective 

 system of high efficiency now makes the forests as nearly safe against 

 fire as the too small force and too meager development of means of 

 communication and transportation permit. All in all, as a great con- 

 structive accomplishment the National Forests and the administra- 

 tive system under which they are made to serve their rightful part 

 in our national economy deserve to rank, and will rank, among the 

 notable triumphs of this generation. 



ADMINISTRATIVE BOARDS. 

 THE REFEREE BOARD. 



On February 20, 1908, the Secretary of Agriculture appointed Dr. 

 Ira Remsen, president of Johns Hopkins University ; Dr. Russell H. 

 Chittenden, dean of the Sheffield Scientific School, Yale University; 

 Dr. John H. Long, of Northwestern University ; Dr. Alonzo Taylor, 

 at that time of the University of California, but now of the Uni- 

 versity of Pennsylvania; and Dr. Christian A. Herter, of Columbia 

 University, as consulting scientific experts of the Department of 

 Agriculture, and four days later organized them into what is known 

 as the Referee Board- Dr. Herter has since died, and he has been 

 succeeded by Dr. Theobald Smith, of Harvard University. 



This board was appointed because a number of large manufac- 

 turers of articles of food requested President Roosevelt to select a 

 number of disinterested, scientific men competent to pass upon the 

 question as to whether sulphur dioxid, saccharin, and benzoate of 

 soda are harmful when used in foods. These manufacturers assured 

 the President that they would discontinue the use of these substances 

 in food if such a board found them to be harmful. President Roose- 

 velt corresponded with the presidents of some of tlie leading uni- 

 versities in the country as to what men were best qualified to make the 

 necessary investigations as to the substances that were harmful or 

 injurious to health when used in foods, and personally selected the 

 five men who were appointed members of the board. 



It is the duty of the board to consider and report to the Secre- 

 tary of Agriculture the wholesomeness or deleterious character of 

 such foods or such articles used in foods as may be referred to them 

 by the Secretary of Agriculture. 



The committee of the House of Representatives which consid- 

 ered the pure-food bill subsequently enacted into law apparently 



