And State Papers 249 



AT A MEETING OF THE SOCIETY OF AMERI 

 CAN FORESTERS, HELD AT THE RESIDENCE 

 OF MR. GIFFORD PINCHOT, WASHINGTON, 

 D. C, MARCH 26, 1903 



Mr. Pinchot, Mr. Secretary, and Gentlemen: 



I have felt that this evening the meeting was of 

 such a character as not merely to warrant but in 

 a sense require that I should break through my cus 

 tom of not coming out to make speeches of this sort. 

 For I believe there are few bodies of men who have 

 it in their power to do a greater service to the coun 

 try than those engaged in the scientific study and 

 practical application of improved methods of for 

 estry for the preservation of our woods in the United 

 States. I am glad to see here this evening not 

 only the officials, including the head, of the De 

 partment of Agriculture, but those, like Governor 

 Richards, most concerned in carrying out the policy 

 of the Department of the Interior. 



First and foremost, you can never afford to for 

 get for one moment what is the object of the forest 

 policy. Primarily that object is not to preserve for 

 ests because they are beautiful though that is good 

 in itself; not to preserve them because they are 

 refuges for the wild creatures of the wilderness 

 though that too is good in itself but the primary 

 object of the forest policy as of the land policy of the 

 United States, is the making of prosperous homes, is 

 part of the traditional policy of home-making of our 

 country. Every other consideration comes as sec- 



