284 Forestry Quarterly 



results of this system, as shown by the accomplishments last year, 

 are very gratifying. It will mean evidently a very much larger 

 percentage of the temporary force secured from Forest Schools, 

 to the mutual advantage of the students and the Forest Service. 



There is in District 1 an urgent need for rangers of a higher 

 type than the ranger examination of the past has produced. The 

 ranger's position has grown in importance, the living conditions 

 have improved, and along with it, the standard for the man to 

 occupy the position has been raised. As a matter of fact, the 

 ranger position is the best possible training for Forest Assistants. 

 If they are not able to handle a Ranger job, they should not be 

 retained in the service. If they can handle it successfully, there 

 is just as much opportunity, and perhaps more, for advancement 

 to higher positions as there is through the old way of entrance 

 by the Forest Assistant examination. There is some Civil 

 Service difificulty yet to be overcome. 



The University of Montana Forest School has this year ob- 

 tained students from all over the United States and from some 

 foreign countries. The District Forester of New South Wales, 

 Australia, is in attendance, studying forestry methods in this 

 country, as well as securing technical training. 



There have been some recent developments in fire protection 

 which are worthy of note. The Adams portable telephone has 

 been developed during the past year and will be used for the 

 first time this season. This telephone was developed by R. B. 

 Adams, Telephone Engineer in this District. The instrument 

 weighs about two pounds and, with a "howler" attachment to the 

 ordinary phone, this light, portable instrument does all of the 

 work required of any telephone instrument. The lightest phone 

 formerly available weighed ten pounds. 



Kitchen and mess equipment for fire fighting has been stan- 

 dardized for 2, 5, 10 and 50 men outfits. All the cooking vessels 

 are made to nest one within the other so as to secure the lightest 

 weight and the smallest volume. 



For smoke chasers' outfits, a combination axe and mattock has 

 been made, which, together with a shovel with a detachable handle, 

 forms the smoke chaser's fire-fighting tools. The whole outfit 

 weighs about 8 pounds, which is considerably lighter than any 

 serviceable tools for this purpose ever before used. 



