fare of the state and education of the people at large in the 

 value and benefits of permanent forests. 



That outlines a far-reaching and comprehensive program. 

 Whether it can be carried to completion in all its branches 

 in the future depends largely on the people of the state, but 

 it shows that the forester has a true conception of his enor- 

 mous responsibilities. 



But let us vent our criticisms first and be through with it. 

 The worst, practically the really bad, feature of the report 

 is the lack of an index. The reference value of the book is 

 greatly crippled by the lack of this simple contrivance, and 

 its omission seems inexcusable. 



First Object, Preventing Fires; the Second, Extinguishing 

 Them. 



Naturally the bulk of the report deals with the fire prob- 

 lem the first that the forester must meet in any field. The 

 organization consists of the State Forester with the Assistant 

 State Forester working through a force of fifteen permanent 

 District Rangers, who in turn have under them a force of 

 temporary patrolmen. The first object is fire prevention; the 

 second to extinguish existing fires as quickly as possible. 

 Every effort is directed first toward prevention. 



To those familiar with the former attitude of all those in- 

 terested in forest fires in Minnesota the most remarkable 

 feature of the whole report is the truly wonderful degree to 

 which all these diverse interests have been induced to co-oper- 

 ate with the new Forest Service in the protection of the for- 

 ests. 



The United States Forest Service under the Weeks law 

 gave $10,000 for the employment of patrolmen to work under 

 the district rangers on the watersheds of the navigable 

 streams. 



The railroads kept reserves to act as patrolmen along their 

 rights of way at the call of the rangers in the danger sea- 

 son, and extended many courtesies to aid the new service. 



Some of the timber owners hired patrolmen of their own 

 to work under the rangers. 



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