82 An American Forest Administration. [266 



of the legitimate wants of different classes of popu- 

 lation in the simplest manner without impairing the 

 continuity of forest cover and of reforestation. 



In the Fiftieth Congress a bill (H. R. 6045) was 

 introduced, which proposed and outlined in full de- 

 tail the working of a forest administration for the 

 United States Government timber lands. To see 

 whether and how far such an administration is 

 practicable, it might be best to scrutinize the provi- 

 sions of this bill. These are briefly as follows: 



1. The temporary withdrawal of all timbered land 

 from private entry, and the reservation, after exami- 

 nation, of the areas which are not agriculturally 

 useful, and which ought to be kept in forest growth. 



2. The districting of the reserved area and the 

 organization of a force for its administration, which 

 comprises 



(a) A central directive office consisting of a com- 

 missioner and four assistant commissioners, in either 

 the Department of the Interior or of Agriculture. 



(6) As many local resident managers or inspectors 

 as there are districts. 



(c) A force of guards or rangers to protect the 

 property against fire and theft, and to supervise the 

 cutting of timber. 



3. Regulations under which wood supplies are to 

 be obtained, under licenses, which take due regard 

 of the different needs of the resident population. 



4. Such penal provisions as will make the execu- 

 tion of the administration effective. These will have 

 to be altered to suit the new conditions, due to the 

 creation of new States, by which the United States 

 have lost the right of penal legislation on most of 

 this territory. 



