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WOODS 



AMP 



WATE 



Vol. XV 



MARCH, 1909 



No. 3 



JAMES WILSON, SECRETARY OF 

 AGRICULTURE 



By THOMAS ELMER WILL 



On December 10, 1908, Hon. James 

 Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture, re- 

 tired from the presidency of the Board 

 of Directors of the American Forestry 

 Association. 



For some time it has been felt that 

 the private, voluntary forestry move- 

 ment, on the one hand, and the govern- 

 mental, on the other, should no longer 

 be officially connected. As early as 

 April 24, 1907, Mr. Gifford Pinchot 

 wrote to Secretary Will a letter resign- 

 ing his position as chairman and mem- 

 ber of the Executive Committee of the 

 Association, saying, among other 

 things, "It is my strong conviction that 

 the Association should stand upon its 

 own feet, and be independent of the 

 Forest Service in all respects. While 

 I hope strongly that the Forest Service 

 will continue to contribute all it can to 

 the cause which the American Forestry 

 Association so well represents, I be- 



lieve it to be unwise that the two in- 

 stitutions should continue to be merged 

 to the present extent by the officers of 

 one acting also as officers of the 

 other." 



At the meeting of the Board of Di- 

 rectors, January 28, 1908, Mr. Pinchot 

 stated that, to avoid confusion in the 

 public mind between the American 

 Forestry Association and the Forest 

 Service, he felt that he should no longer 

 continue as a member of the Board of 

 Directors of the Association, and re- 

 quested that he be not renominated. 

 With very great regret, his request was 

 complied with. At the same board 

 meeting, and for the same reason, Sec- 

 retary Wilson desired to retire from 

 the presidency. He was, however, 

 urged to continue until an eligible suc- 

 cessor could be found. Action was ac- 

 cordingly deferred until December. 



Thus ended a term of service cover- 



125 



