A NATIONAL PLAN FOE AMERICAN FORESTRY 653 



tained for each class of work even in the same region and consequently 

 correlation was extremely difficult. For forest-products research 

 alone there was a separate branch organization devoted exclusively 

 to research, but even in this case final responsibility rested in an 

 assistant forester in Washington whose main responsibility was 

 national-forest administration. 



Research was so submerged, in fact, and so out of the thought of 

 the rank and file of Forest Service personnel that its development 

 was practically at a standstill. In organization, administration, 

 finances, the selection and recognition of personnel, and in practically 

 every other particular it was subordinated to the development and 

 administration of the national forests. 



Progress made prior to 1915 in spite of the handicaps of organiza- 

 tion, has been invaluable in the subsequent development of research. 

 The Forest Products Laboratory, thanks mostly to much greater 

 administrative freedom, had been developed to essentially its present 

 form. Several small forest experiment stations had been established 

 in the West, local in their conception and designed primarily to serve 

 national forest needs, but still experiment stations. Most of them 

 were essentially the same as our present experimental forests. A 

 handful of men had been developed as a nucleus around which to 

 build a larger staff. A good deal of exploratory work had been done 

 and substantial progress had been made in working out specialized 

 technique adapted to the requirements of forest research. In many 

 respects seed had been germinated which needed only the right kind 

 of opportunity for growth and fruition. The development of research 

 prior to June 1, 1915, is, however, an interesting and important story 

 in itself, the telling of which will not be attempted here. 



The reorganization of June 1, 1915, met the situation by recognizing 

 research as a major Forest Service activity on a par with other activ- 

 ities, and like them, one which must stand on its own feet. It met 

 the situation by segregating both administrative and research 

 activities. The basic purpose in the Forest Service, as in other 

 bureaus of the Department, was the greatest possible efficiency and 

 the largest possible public service in both activities in the broadest 

 and most far-reaching sense. 



Under the plan for consolidating research activities and segregating 

 administration and research, the Forest Service organization, in 

 briefest terms, took the following form: The forest experiment 

 stations became responsible for the organized research in specified 

 regions, the Forest Products Laboratory for the work within its 

 particular field over the entire country, and all reported directly to 

 the Branch of Research, which in turn reported to the Forester. All 

 the national forests in each of the several large regions continued to 

 report to a district or regional office, which in turn was responsible 

 to the Forester. This means that there are two sets of field organiza- 

 tions which have been made responsible for research and administra- 

 tive work respectively in the same territory and which report 

 independently to Washington. 



Experience has shown that the gains to research through consolida- 

 tion and segregation have far more than offset possible losses. One 

 of the greatest losses has been through the elimination of such 

 advantages as might accrue through the administrative handling of 

 the work by experienced executives, men of ability who have risen 

 to responsible positions. 



