2G2 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



On January 7, 1918, the U. S. Senate, by a vote of 37 to 32, passed 

 the Walsh- Pittman Oil and Coal Land Leasing Bill. This hill has been 

 pending in the Senate for four years. If it passes the House and be- 

 comes a law, it will establish a new principle on the part of the Gov- 

 ernment in dealing with its mineral resources. 



Under date of January 28, 1918, Mr. Gifford Pinchot sent a letter to 

 various newspapers throughout the country commending the adminis- 

 tration water-power bill recently introduced in the House of Repre- 

 sentatives. The bill in question was formulated under the direction of 

 the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary 

 of Interior. It deals with water power in National Forests, public 

 lands, Indian lands, and navigable streams. 



Mr. Pinchot says that it "embodies the principles essential for wise 

 use and development of our public waters in the public interest. The 

 passage of this law will secure to American people forever vast re- 

 sources whose use for the good of all will make this land a safer and 

 better place to live in." The bill has been referred to a special com- 

 mittee of the House, created to consider it. 



The Nancy forest school has been temporarily removed to Paris, 

 conditions at Nancy, due to the nearness to the war front, having 

 become unfavorable to its continuance there. Fifteen to twenty students 

 are expected to attend. 



In November last a reorganization of various services charged to 

 provision the armies with wood materials into a single Service des Bois, 

 under the Minister of Munitions, was effected in France. It is to secure 

 the various needs for wood by purchase in the market, by direct 

 exploitation, or by requisition, and to organize a rational utilization of 

 the means of production. For this purpose the country is subdivided 

 into nine Centres de Bois, with a director presiding over each, of the 

 grade of lieutenant-colonel, with the necessary staff. For the service 

 of the softwoods a further division into circonscriptions (regional loca- 

 tions) in charge of a superior or subaltern officer ; for the service of 

 hardwoods one special circonscription is provided at each center. 



At each center a company of forest laborers is maintained. An 

 inspector-general exercises general supervision, co-ordinating the work 

 and distributing orders for material and controlling the work in general. 



