1902. 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION. 



H3 



he had hardly any other way of know- 

 ing them except by a repetition of their 

 investigation. B}^ the time he had 

 learned the many conditions of his re- 

 serve it was time for his dismissal. In 

 the planning of his work and in the 

 handling of his men the same disadvan- 

 tages appeared, even emphasized. The 

 short period of service made the position 

 nndesirable, the uncertainty of reap- 

 pointment discouraged the interest nec- 

 essary to a careful study of conditions, 

 and thus prev'ented that continuity of 

 plan and method essential to an economic 

 and yet efficient service. The rangers 

 being dismissed at the same time with 

 the supervisors, there was no certainty 

 as to the amount, character, or prepara- 

 tion of the assistance furnished to the 

 supervisor, and thus the handling of his 

 men was seriously affected by this same 

 interruption of the work. 



Among the additions to their duties, 

 the supervisors will be required to keep 

 a well-planned, uniform record, on blank 

 sheets furnished b}' the department, of 

 all important affairs and conditions of 

 their reserves, so that the successor of 

 any supervisor or the inspecting officer 

 can at any moment see from these rec- 

 ords where the timber has been removed, 

 what parts remain still uncut, and can 

 readily find the number, location and 

 other facts concerning every saw-mill, 

 agricultural claim, or other establish- 

 ment within the reserve. 



In the ranger or working force the 

 changes have been equally radical and 

 far-reaching. There are now three 

 classes of rangers, with salaries of $90, 

 $75, and $60 per month, respectively. 

 The positions of classes I ($90) and II 

 ($75) are filled as far as possible by pro- 

 motion, in which efficient service on the 

 reserve, knowledge of the reserve and 

 its conditions, and general education and 

 experience especially in woodsman's 

 affairs are all caref ulh' considered. In 

 a few of the reserves the cost of living 

 and cost of maintenance of a satisfactory 

 mount is also taken into consideration. 



The need of better pay for rangers 

 has been felt for some time. A ranger 

 is obliged to keep at least two good 

 horses. Often he should have three, 

 and in addition he must keep his own 



camping outfit and supplies. He is 

 supposed to know the rules and regula- 

 tions of forest reserves, be a man of 

 good sense, considerable experience, fair 

 education and conduct, be on duty prac- 

 ticalh' every day, and has considerable 

 responsibility. This he does in a dis- 

 trict where any able-bodied man, with 

 ordinary labor during eight or ten hours 

 per day, receives better pay without 

 being required to camp out alone or 

 spend his Sundays doing guard duty. 



As to the rangers of class I and part 

 of class II on most of the reserves, it 

 ma}^ be said that they are expected to 

 be well acquainted with timber work, 

 understand scaling, estimating, and 

 measuring of timber, be able to ' ' cruise ' ' 

 and map a piece of woods, report intel- 

 ligently on a piece of forest land or a 

 wood contract, and thus fill the place of 

 the ordinary estimator or "land-looker," 

 who, with most of our lumber compa- 

 nies, draws a salary of usually $3 to $5 

 a day and everything furnished. 



In the past the rangers shared the 

 fate of the supervisors. They were 

 engaged as the season advanced and 

 the increased danger from fire appeared 

 to require additional forces. In all re- 

 serves the majority of the rangers were 

 laid off during winter. In a number of 

 resents the entire force was dismis.sed. 

 While this method was probably the 

 best under the circumstances, furnish- 

 ing the largest number of men during 

 the most dangerous season of each year, 

 yet the uncertainty and irregularity of 

 the service discouraged good men and 

 made it impossible for supervisor and 

 men to plan or organize their work in 

 any satisfactory- manner. By having a 

 certain number of the men of classes I 

 and II retained permanently on each 

 reserve, the plan and work become con- 

 tinuous, and the temporary force, when 

 put on in the spring, finds a controlling 

 body properly equipped with the neces- 

 sary knowledge of where to go and 

 what to do, and with the interest of a 

 permanent occupation, which alone is 

 able to inspire and carry the lonely 

 work of a mountain ranger to success. 



In the distribution of the rangers it 

 has been necessary in the past, and is 

 yet, in the case of all new reserves, to 



