Forest Service Revenue and Organization 229 



"Fundamentally, no man is qualified to play inspector for his 

 own doings. The Assistant District Forester may do the work 



of several 'foresters' , but even then it will 



need independent, separate men to inspect and see things with- 

 out bias and report without paint. Success in modern work 

 seems to depend on the whole organization being (1) responsive, 

 so that when you press the button something happens, (2) re- 

 sponsible, that the blame will never fall on the wrong man; (3) 

 inspected, where everything is fully known and frankly stated. 

 The really competent man loves all three and wants all three. An 

 incompetent abhors all three and fights against their instruction." 



It seems to me that this is an added argument for the eventual 

 abolishment of the districts. Naturally, such an inherent criti- 

 cism of the Service organization, such as my suggestion of abol- 

 ishing the districts, can have but little weight, particularly as 

 extremely strong pressure would be brought in favor of con- 

 tinuing the district organization by those whose personal interests 

 would be directly afifected. Perhaps the best plan would be to 

 assign the whole organization of the Service as a definite project 

 for careful study. The results of such a scrutiny would assist 

 the Forester, the branch chiefs, and the district foresters to form 

 a logical conclusion. The form of organization which I person- 

 ally feel is best adapted to give sufficient efficiency and yet to 

 clearly reduce the present costs, is as follows : 



To have a very much simplified "staff organization" on for- 

 ests where it is necessary and where, for some local reason, it 

 is not practicable to continue the present form of forest organi- 

 zation. To have in each district one general inspector and, 

 perhaps, one or two assistant inspectors to advise the central 

 bureau on particular matters of regional policy, personnel cases, 

 and such other specific problems as the central bureau required 

 advice upon. One inspector could act as fire chief where regional 

 conflagrations were likely. The district office would be abol- 

 ished. The chief clerk in each supervisor's office would be a 

 special disbursing agent who would report directly to Accounts in 

 Washington ; or Accounts could be in the inspection town or at 

 Washington. A district law officer could maintain his head- 

 quarters with the general inspector and would advise the local 

 supervisors on legal matters. If desired to centralize law work, 

 I see no inherent objection to having law problems decided in 

 Washington and the local Land Office special agents handle. 



