COMMENT 



On page 298 of this volume a statement was made regarding 

 legislation development in California, to which a correspondent 

 takes exception. We are advised by him that it is not fair to 

 charge the California Forest Protective Association with having: 

 opposed improved forest fire legislation, and he presents the situ- 

 ation as follows : "The conservation section of the Common- 

 wealth Club of California called several meetings of the people 

 most directly concerned in the forest fire protection bills which 

 were introduced at the 1915 session of the legislature. After 

 several conferences, a compromise measure was formally en- 

 dorsed by representatives of the State Conservation Commission, 

 the United States Forest Service, the Division of Forestry of the 

 University of California, the Section on Conservation of the Com- 

 monwealth Club of California, the Forestry Section of the Cali- 

 fornia Federation of Women's Clubs, the Sierra Club, the San 

 Francisco Chamber of Commerce, the Tamalpais Fire Associa^ 

 tion, and the California Forest Protective Association." 



We regret to have to correct a statement made in the last issue 

 on page 299, describing the formation of a State Board of Fores- 

 try in Texas. We were following in this an account to be found 

 in American Forestry for May. It turns out that such a Board 

 was not legislated, the Directors of the Agricultural and Mechan- 

 ical College of Texas, a non-political body, acting as such Board. 

 Our remarks regarding the superfluity of interests and many- 

 headedness of the Board were therefore uncalled for. 



We are now in receipt of a copy of the Act, which excels in 

 simplicity and freedom from limiting conditions. The Board has 

 the right not only to receive by gift but also to purchase State 

 Forests, "using for such purchases any special appropriation or 

 any surplus money not otherwise appropriated which may stand 

 to the credit of the State Forestry Fund; all sales of wood or 

 other products to constitute a special Forestry Fund and this 

 fund to be managed by the Board." 



The principles involved in this organization are most promising, 

 and it is only necessary to endow the Board properly for a 

 sufficiently large beginning to place Texas in the front rank of 

 States practising forestry. 



435 



