EDITORIAL COMMENT 



Why Not a Union for Foresters? 



We believe that Mr. Leopold has touched upon a very vital problem 

 in his article entitled "Forest Service Salaries and the Future of the 

 National Forests," which appears in this issue of the Journal. In 

 our judgment there is no doubt that the present low salaries for 

 foresters, outside as well as inside the Forest Service, constitute a 

 very real obstacle to the progress of forestry in this country, if they 

 do not indeed endanger the results already secured. Inadequate com- 

 pensation is further aggravated by lack of freedom for the develop- 

 ment of initiative, lack of public support, lack of recognition by other 

 scientific workers, and lack of opportunities for the practice of the 

 profession. In addition to increased salaries, we need to place forestry 

 on a higher plane scientifically, and to secure unquestioned acceptance 

 of the necessity for forestry as an essential element in the national 

 life. 



In the consideration of ways and means to better the present situa- 

 tion we should like to suggest one addition to the remedies mentioned 

 by Mr. Leopold. We heartily approve of the Federal Employees 

 Unions and agree with him that they merit the support of every for- 

 ester in the Forest Service. But are these unions enough? They 

 are composed of employees of every grade, from charwoman to bu- 

 reau chief; taken as a whole they are more interested in improving 

 conditions for clerical than for technical workers ; and their member- 

 ship and field of activity are limited to the Government service. Would 

 not the interests of foresters and other scientific workers, whether in 

 public or private life, be served more effectively by an association 

 organized along diflferent lines? 



Two examples that merit careful consideration in this connection 

 are furnished by the American xAssociation of University Professors 

 and the recently organized British National Union for Scientific 

 Workers. The objects of the latter include: 



(i) To advance the interests of science — pure and applied — as an 

 essential element in the national life; (2) to regulate the conditions of 

 employment of persons with adequate scientific training and knowl- 

 edge ; and (3) to secure, in the interests of national efficiency, that all 

 scientific and technical departments in the public service and all indus- 

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