Associations and Commissions. 415 



seeking men, political wire pullers, and grafters, or more 

 often of ignorant amateurs and shallow sentimentalists, 

 aided by half-informed newspaper writers. Infinite 

 patience was required to steer through these rocks the 

 ship of true economic reform, and to educate legislators 

 and constituents to its true needs. The very first for- 

 estry congress was really conceived with a view of ad- 

 vancing political preferment of one of its organizers, 

 and many another "forestr}^' meeting was utilized for a 

 similar purpose, the new, catchy title attracting the gul- ^ 

 lible. 



One of the first State forest commissions, well en- 

 dowed to do its work, soon fell into the hands of grafters, 

 and created such scandals that they led to its abolish- 

 ment, and to a set-back in the movement everywhere. 

 Arbor day sentimentalism discredited and clouded the 

 issue before the business world; the movement was in 

 constant danger at the hands of its friends. Antagonism 

 of the lumber world was aroused by the false idea of 

 what the reform contemplated, and, in the absence of 

 technically trained foresters to instruct the public and 

 the amateur reformers, and to convince legislators of the 

 absolute need of discontinuing old established habits, 

 progress was naturally slow, and experienced many set- 

 backs. 



It was a hard field to plow, grown up with the weed 

 growth of prejudice and custom, and means and tools 

 for the work were inadequate. 



The federal government was naturally looked to to 

 take the lead. The first two agents, employed in the 

 Department of Agriculture to "report on forestry'^, un- 

 fortimately lacked aU technical knowledge of the sub- 



