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OFFICE OF ENGINEERING. 



Increased Allotments for Improvement Work 



From letters which have been received from certain supervisors it appears that 

 the manner of expending increases in their letters of authorization from the special 

 improvement fund is not thoroughly understood. 



Although not embodied in a special letter of authorization, any increase from the 

 special fund is made for a specific purpose and must be used for this purpose only. 

 Money allotted for one authorized improvement work should in no case be used for 

 any other improvement until authority for such transfer is received from the For- 

 ester in reply to a recommendation by the supervisor. 



Special-fund money should in no case be used for general expenses. The pay- 

 ment for special labor for work on permanent improvements is chargeable against 

 the special fund, but such labor must be obtained with the understanding that as 

 soon as the work on which the men are engaged is completed they will no longer be 

 needed. Men hired under these circumstances should not be used for patrol duty or 

 other Forest work, except in cases of sudden emergency, such as the need for 

 fighting fire. 



Telephone Lines 



Up to June 15 there have been 700 miles of single-wire telephone line construction 

 authorized. About 1,200 additional miles will probably be authorized immedi- 

 ately after the first of the fiscal year. 



It seems to be the general opinion among the supervisors that, under the instruc- 

 tions' sent out for constructing telephone lines, it is never permissible to use poles 

 shorter than 22 feet. This is erroneous, for when the necessity is shown a shorter 

 pole may be used, provided that either the cost of the longer pole is excessive or the 

 difficulty of securing it too great. Trees should be used wherever available in lieu 

 of poles. This will materially lessen the cost of some of the lines on which estimates 

 have been returned. 



Colorado Telephone Company 



A contract has been signed by the Forest Service with the Colorado Telephone 

 Company by which the company grants various concessions to the Service in con- 

 sideration of the free right of way for their lines over the National Forests. The 

 Forest Service will receive free use of the company's lines through the National 

 Forests for official messages and special rates for the use of their lines between 

 points situated beyond the boundaries of the Forests. The Service will also receive 

 special rates for the purchase of instruments and line supplies. 



The company will construct desirable lines in many cases in cooperation with the 

 Service. The free use of timber is granted to the company for poles for the construc- 

 tion of lines on the National Forests, and pole timber will be sold in many cases to 

 the company when needed for lines built outside the Forests. 



The better connection will insure greater protection of the National Forests from 

 fire and permit the rapid transaction of business with users of the Forests. 



Form No. 221 has been originated for use under the terms of this contract for 

 messages to be sent by the company, and the supervisors in the region served by the 

 company's lines have been provided with a supply of these forms to be used by 

 themselves and their forest rangers. The contract will go into effect on July 1. 



Telephone Instruments on Forest-Service Lines 



As there seems to be some misapprehension among the supervisors in regard to the 

 cooperative work with the settlers in constructing telephone lines and the privileges 



