JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



Vol. XVI APRIL, 1918 No. 4 



THE TECHNICAL MAN'S SHORTCOMINGS 

 By Richard H. Boerker 



It seems to me that Kneipp's article in the February issue of the 

 Journal accomplishes but one thing, namely, to stir up the old quarrel 

 between the so-called practical man and the technical man. If he had, 

 in addition to enumerating the technical forester's multitudinous short- 

 comings, offered a few suggestions as to how the latter might better fit 

 himself for his position, we might peruse the paper with a little more 

 indulgence. I have taken particular pains to note any helpful sugges- 

 tions which might remedy the situation, but have found none. I am 

 ready to admit that the technical foresters have their share of faults, 

 because I am one myself; but few of us will admit that the situation 

 is as overdrawn as Kneipp makes it. I would like to ask Kneipp : 

 What are you going to suggest to remedy the situation? Where does 

 the trouble lie? Whose fault is it — the man, the forestry school, or the 

 Forest Service? It is a very easy matter to find fault ; quite another to 

 offer constructive suggestions. 



There are two courses open to us, just as in the case of the sick 

 horse. We can carefully diagnose the disease and apply the remedy, 

 or we can get rid of the case forthwith by cutting the animal's throat. 

 In other words, we can either carefully diagnose the technical man's 

 troubles or we can abolish his position altogether. If we take the 

 former alternative we may look for the trouble in three different places. 

 We must accept one or more of these three premises: 



1. The forestry schools arc not giving the right kind of training. 



2. The Forest Service is unreasoiia])le in its rrciuiremcnts fnun the 

 technical man. 



3. The forestry schools do not get the right kind of men to start with. 

 Kneipp makes three major points in his article, namely: (i) That 



there has been an actual decrease in the number of technical men dur- 

 ing the last 10 vears ; (2 ) that technical men have not shown as marked 

 advancement and have not been as successful as might l)e ; (3) that 



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