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ested areas are for them, for their pleasure and benefit, the problem of the 

 education of the people is solved. 



Of course, this interest must be kept alive by a proper and almost 

 constant publicity, made as attractive by illustrations and other devices 

 as is possible. Foresters are scientists and in common with other scien- 

 tists are much to blame for the present general and almost appalling lack 

 of interest in their problems. Their method of attack has been wrong, and 

 the emphasis has very often been wrongly placed. To meet this need, to 

 awaken this interest, educational tools must differ materially from those 

 in the former groups. Here also the need of a centralizing agency is evi- 

 dent if the highest efficiency is to be. secured. Our war time efforts in 

 financial lines have amply proven the efficiency of concerted action in the 

 securing apparently impossible goals in an almost incredibly short time. 

 A sound educational policy will quickly utilize this dynamic fact in mass 

 psychology. 



But after all we must acknowldege the fact that no very great advances 

 over existing forestal conditions are possible unless in some way we can 

 educate our legislators. The men who constitute our legislatures in the 

 main, have pledged themselves to give the people a "business administra- 

 tion." Ordinarily that means they will vote against every bill carrying 

 an appropriation if it is at all possible to find the slightest justification 

 for so doing, and where they are compelled by circumstance to vote affirm- 

 tively will "trim it to the bone." Now forestal advance means money 

 and it means money from the state. Money for acquiring lands, money 

 for the purchase of parks, money for the forester with his office and 

 field force. This of course, means that legislators should be educated in 

 such a way that they can see the economy of forestry. As a rule, these 

 men serve only a term or at most three or four. Our educational work 

 must therefore be intensive. Further it must focus upon one point, the 

 economics of conservation and therefore of forestry. It might even 

 overemphasize the point by demonstrating that the failure to pass adequate 

 forestal appropriations was irrefutable evidence of unwillingness to give 

 the people a "business administration." Such work would necessarily be 

 done through compact and attractive folders or bulletins, which would, 

 however, have to be prepared with infinite care and skill. It would 

 be easy to name a dozen men in this country any one of whom could 

 prepare a series of such folders or bulletins as would show to the average 

 legislature the economy of conservation in a compelling way. This work 

 has, in the past, been either neglected or so hastily done as to partially 

 defeat its own purpose. Here again there is need of a centralizing or 

 co-ordinating body, in order that a forceful presentation of the arguments 

 in favor of conservation measures may be made in every state in which 

 legislative action is sought. I have -omitted purposely any suggestion as 

 to the work in the Forest Schools of the country. This work as we all 

 know is not only well organized but is in most cases being administered 

 with rare skill. These schools can be trusted to keep pace with all 

 forestal advances. Neither have I spoken of the training of the forester 

 himself, although personally I believe the effective forester will be found 

 to be made up of about one-tenth technical skill and nine-tenths common 



