EDITORIAL 



HOW WE STAND FOR EFFICIENT STATE FORESTRY 



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N editorial in American Forestry for June, 1917, 

 stated the facts regarding the recent reorganiza- 

 tion of the forestry department of Vermont. It told 

 how the state forester, a capable, experienced man with 

 long recognized ability and a first class reputation as an 

 efficient forester, resigned rather than be legislated out of 

 oifice. He did so because, like many another good citizen, 

 he found it impossible to serve the best interests of the 

 public and at the same time comply with the wishes of 

 certain influential people of the state. 



This frank, straightforward editorial expression re- 

 garding a situation, in which Vermont has no monopoly, 

 has inspired some of the newspapers of the state to not 

 only continue their attacks upon the former state for- 

 ester, but to challenge the integrity and the independence 

 of the American Forestry Association as well as imply- 

 ing that the editorial was published at the behest of the 

 former state forester, who is now employed in the United 

 States Agricultural Department. 



Such charges are not in -themselves worthy of answer, 

 but they do suggest a further statement clinching the 

 argument which was previously made. 



One newspaper says : "It is about time for the head 

 of the Forest Service of the United States, or the Secre- 

 tary of Agriculture, to tell their underlings to refrain 

 from political activities." 



This is amusing in view of the well-known fact that 

 for the past twenty years the American Forestry Asso- 

 ciation has exerted itself with considerable success in 

 building up and protecting efficient and non-political state 

 forestry departments, in charge of trained experts, who 

 know and understand what forestry is, and who mould 

 and develop a progressive forest policy for the states 

 which employ them. 



The Vermont newspapers need not assume that the 

 association has singled out their state for special atten- 

 tion. Far from it. In many states in the last few years 

 efforts have been made to overthrow efficient forestry 

 departments which have become popular and important 

 parts of the state machinery. These efforts have been 

 inspired primarily by selfish motives. The usual method 

 by which control of these efficient departments has been 

 sought has been by reorganization and consolidation with 

 other departments under the guise of economy. The real 

 end sought was the placing of the trained and efficient 

 heads of these forestry departments under political direc- 

 tion and dictation. 



Efforts similar to those which succeeded in Vermont 



and in Wisconsin have been met and defeated in New 

 Hampshire, Maryland, Minnesota and Oregon and have 

 been prevented in other states by the knowledge that they 

 would be vigorously opposed. 



Efficiency in state as well as national government de- 

 partments, where technical men are required, demands 

 the substitution of the trained executive for the political 

 appointee and the elevation of public service into a career 

 sufficiently stable to attract men of real ability. 



It is apparent that neither state nor national forestry 

 can measure up to the demands made upon it without 

 the adoption of a system by which men of merit will be 

 retained without political interference. The National 

 Forest Service has such a system and much of its success 

 is due to it. States, too, must have it if their forestry 

 administrations are to be successful and if they are to give 

 their citizens the kind of state forestry management best 

 suited to their needs. 



How shall an efficient, non-political forest adminis- 

 tration be supported against the onslaughts of private 

 greed and the hostility of the believers in partisan man- 

 agement? The employes upon whom rest the burden of 

 the work are comparatively helpless to defend themselves 

 against attacks which are based upon the assumption that 

 anything they say is inspired by self interest, and that 

 their real purpose is not so much to serve the public 

 honestly and faithfully as to hold their jobs. The aver- 

 age citizen is still of the opinion that most state jobs 

 are sinecures and that the appointments are made and 

 salaries paid as rewards for political work or influence. 

 As a matter of fact, men of equal training, education 

 and ability to those required for the successful adminis- 

 tration of technical positions under state and national 

 governments can and do command salaries, when in pri- 

 vate employ, largely in excess of those paid them in pub- 

 lic service. 



In calling public attention to the outcome of the strug- 

 gle in Vermont the American Forestry Magazine pub- 

 lished facts of common knowledge and what it did was 

 fully in keeping with the policy of the Association in 

 striving for the best possible forestry administration for 

 every state in the Union. Its utterances were not in- 

 s])ired by any government or state official or by the 

 former forester of Vermont, and it will continue to speak 

 plainly and forcibly in favor of the establishment, con- 

 tinuance and protection of competent and efficient for- 

 estry departments, as it has done in the past, with the 

 knowledge that it has the full support of its members and 

 of all who believe in good government 



