^7i 



the change was the opening of the reserves to much wider 

 use than ever before. This is the natural consequence of in- 

 trusting' the care of these great forests to the only branch of the 

 Government which lias the necessary technical knowledge. 

 The inevitable consequence of a lack of such knowledge must 

 be the restriction of right use or the practical certainty of mis- 

 use. Only under expert control can any property yield its best 

 return to the owaier, who in this case is the people of the United 

 States. 



Under the system of administration now in force everything 

 affecting the reserves is determined or executed by men of 

 expert knowledge, familiar with local conditions. This entire 

 force has become a part of the classified civil service. Timber 

 is cut only under the supervision of trained men in accordance 

 with a plan carefully prepared to safeguard the permanent wel- 

 fare of the forest ; yet the sales of timber have many times in- 

 creased since the Forest Service took charge. A far more com- 

 plete control is exercised than formerly, yet the net cost to the 

 Government of all the work of the Service will be less for the 

 present year than that of the Bureau of Forestry alone before 

 the transfer. A propeity worth in cash not less than $250,- 

 000,000 is administered at a cost of less than one-third of I per 

 cent, of its value, while increase in that value of not less than 

 TO per cent, per annum is taking place. As the use of the re- 

 serves increases the cost of administration must, of course, in- 

 crease also, but receipts will certainly increase much more rap- 

 idly. The forest reserves are certain to become not only self- 

 supporting but a source of large public revenue. 



WORK OF THE YEAR. 



The transfer of the National forest reserves to the care of 

 the Department of Agriculture was efifected on February i, 

 1905. The administration of these vast forests fell quietly into 

 its place in the Service, and has since been conducted with 

 steadily advancing efhciency. Every office in the Forest Ser- 

 vice is actively concerned in their management, working and 

 planting plans are in preparation and have been prepared for 

 various parts of them, and they are absorbing and will continue 

 to absorb a greater and greater part of the work of the Forest 

 Service. 



