CONNECTICUT'S FOREST PROGRAM 151 



experience of the present State Forester who will hecome forester for 

 the Agricultural Experiment Station after the reorganization. The 

 new State Forester will be appointed by a non-partisan board. In 

 many ways the plan is logical; The main disadvantage is that it places 

 the new State Forester in a position somewhat subordinate to the 

 Agricultural Experiment Station Forester. His position will be similar 

 to the Superintendent of Parks who reports to the Park Commission. 

 If the new State I'orester is to be a broad man of marked ability, it is 

 doubtful if such a man would relish the position of State Forester 

 under the proposed plan. On the other hand, if the new State Forester 

 were a member of the Park Board he would vote on his own dismissal 

 unless the law provided he ivotdd not sit with the Park Board when the 

 dismissal, resignation or appointment of a State Forester zi'as under 

 consideration. The President of most companies is a member ex officio 

 of the Board of Directors. So it is a pity not to see the State Forester 

 a member of his governing board. The interests of forestry in the 

 State of Connecticut would surely be strengthened by the proposed 

 reorganization in whatever form it finally takes, but probably the best 

 results would be secured by having both the State Forester and the 

 Agricultural Experiment Station Forester on the Park Board if that 

 board is to direct forestry in the State. With the State Forester off 

 the Park Board it is conceivable that there might be a lack of adminis- 

 trative co-ordination when the Park Board was acting on park pur- 

 chases in the absence of the State Forester. It is an interesting prob- 

 lem that probably will be solved by putting most weight on the per- 

 sonal equation rather than on purely administrative consideratfons. It 

 will be of interest to see if there is a move to place the appointment of 

 a technically trained State Forester in the hands of the Governor. 



An important feature of the reorganization is the proposal to modify 

 the present forest fire warden system which, according to the Committee 

 on Forest Fires, is not proving a success because it is based on the 

 town as a unit. Under the present system the town selectmen appoint 

 a town fire warden and the State Fire Warden (the forester) "may ap- 

 point patrol subject to the approval of the State warden." Labor for 

 fire fighting is ultimately paid for as follows: One-quarter by town, 

 one-quarter by county, one-half by State. Lookouts are paid for by 

 Federal funds. The objections to the present system are: 



((?) Indift'erence of selectmen and changing of personnel. Low 

 wage scale. Conflict of authority near town lines. Lack of time to 



