THE FOEESTER. 179 



The proposed plan for realizing these objectives contemj^lates 

 cooperation between the Federal Government and the States. The 

 Government and the States must join hands in working out a program 

 that will bring into correlation the various public and private efforts 

 for the protection and right handling of forests. The function of 

 the Federal Government, in addition to handling the National Forests, 

 would be to stimulate, guide, and coordinate State action and conduct 

 necessary investigations regardhig the best methods of forestry, to 

 assist the States in classification of land, and to harmonize action 

 as between the different States. The States would also have a 

 function in handling pubhc property owned by them, and they 

 would have a fm*ther direct responsibility in connection with the 

 protection and perpetuation of pri%'ate forest lands. 



In the matter of private forestry the Government would work 

 primarily through State agencies. To initiate the proposed policy 

 there should be a Federal law authorizing the Government to coop- 

 erate with the States m bringing about the protection and right han- 

 dling of forest lands within their borders, and providing means for 

 such cooperation. 



The net result of the steps already taken to inaugurate and organize 

 the new movement for forestry has been to attract renewed and 

 widespread attention to the fact that a real forest problem must be 

 reckoned with, and is of national concern; to establish a conviction 

 in the minds of many who have first-hand knowledge of the facts 

 that definite action to protect the public interests involved and safe- 

 guard a resource essential for econoniic and industrial stability is 

 now required ; and to secure what is believed to be a feasible program, 

 of a character to command general acceptance as it becomes fully 

 undei'stood. 



PERSONNEL CHANGES IN THE FOREST SERVICE. 



Since the signing of the armistice 419 members of the Forest Serv- 

 ice have resigned. Of this number 118 were employed at the Forest 

 Products Laboratory at Madison, Wis., 231 were members of the 

 National Forest force, and 70 were employed in the District offices 

 and at Washington. 



The resignations at the Madison laboratory were mainly the result 

 of curtailment of the activities there forced by large reductions in the 

 funds supplied by the War and Navy Departments for lines of work 

 which were a part of the war effort of the Nation. As set forth in 

 last year's report, the Forest Products Laboratory had practically 

 abancloned all other lines of work. When the armistice was signed 

 the activities were at their peak. The field of public service of the 

 laboratory was somewhat altered but in no way reduced by the sudden 

 end of hostilities ; but the supply of funds was progressively cut off. 

 This was the chief cause of tne reduction in force, though in a con- 

 siderable number of individual instances men whom the laboratory 

 wished to retain were lost because of the higher outside remuneration 

 offered them. 



Quite a different situation obtained with the National Forest force. 

 Here the war liad led to a curtailment of activities, the furloughing 

 of many men who volunteered or were drafted for military service, 

 the temporary or peraianent withdrawal of other men to engage in 



