152 JOURNAL OP FORESTRY 



In this connection the following translation ^ of a communication by 

 Ch. Guyot may be of interest to American foresters, dealing although 

 it does almost entirely with the legal side of the question of the em- 

 ployment of women as forest guards in the French forests : 



The case of the Widow Rincent. Civil Tribunal of Troyes — session 

 of Oct. 16, 1918. 



Communication of M. Emile Maire, former Inspector of Waters 

 and Forests Service : 



"The Count of Hunolstein had as a forest guard for his forests situated in 

 the arrondissement of Troyes, M. Rincent, who was mobilized upon the declara- 

 tion of war, and who died on Oct. 29, 1917, of a malady contracted at the front. 

 During his absence the position of guard had been filled by his wife, a person 

 of intelligence, very familiar with forest management, besides of irreproachable 

 reputation and enjoying the general esteem of the community. After the death 

 of Rincent the manager of the estate of the Count of Hunolstein proposed to 

 the widow that she continue to perform permanently the functions which she 

 had performed temporarily in such a satisfactory manner — which she accepted. 

 It remained to make regular the position by giving her an appointment as pri- 

 vate forest guard, by having her accepted in this capacity by the prefect of the 

 Department of the Aube and by her taking an oath before the civil court of the 

 arrondissement. 



The appointment, issued on Dec. 18, 1917, was addressed to the prefect with 

 the usual notations (date of birth, certificate of good life and morals, etc.) 

 asking for his approval, which was given, not without some delay. In short, 

 by virtue of this decision, accompanied by the following, the court was asked 

 to allow Madame Rincent to take the oath prescribed by Art. 117, C. for. The 

 court at its session of Oct. 16, 1918, received the oath, at the request of the at- 

 torney of the government and Madame Rincent found herself qualified by due 

 verbal process to fulfil the functions a police officer, under the conditions of 

 Art. 188, C. for. 



This decision is new and important, especially under the circumstances, where 

 following the departure for the Army of the greater part of the forest guards, 

 forest owners ran the risk of neglect of their forests and were at the mercy of 

 trespassers. Without doubt such considerations led the prefect to welcome the 

 unusual request which was submitted to him. Perhaps he would have hesitated 

 longer had not the owner, very opportunely, been able to cite in support of his 

 request other cases of women being sworn in in other services (for example — 

 in the personnel of the metropolitan railways of Paris). As for the civil court, 

 after verification of the papers presented, it admitted without question the tak- 

 ing of the oath. 



^ Departrfient of Jurisprudence, Revue des Eaux et Forets, Jan. 1, 1919, Pp. 4-5. 



Private forest guard: female personnel — Art. 117, C. for. 



Neither Article iij C. forestry, nor any text of lazv prohibits a private owner 

 from giving to a zvoman a position of safeguarding his forests. The prefect or 

 sous-prefect can validly accept a woman as a private forest guard, and the civil 

 court should accept the oath of this zvoman; no legal objection can be made to 

 this oath. 



