104 



Canadian Forestry Journal, July-August, 1912. 



APPOINTMENTS BY MERIT. 



The Nor' -West Fanner recently 

 had a vigorous comment on the Cana- 

 dian Forestry Association's resolu- 

 tion in regard to making nil appoint- 

 ments to the dominion and provin- 

 cial forest services only after exami- 

 nation. The editorial is as follows : — 



One very hopeful sign of the times 

 is the increasing strength of public 

 sentiment in favor of removing our 

 civil service entirely heyond the reach 

 of political parties and placing it 

 under non-partizan control. I\v fre- 

 quent resolutions our western farm- 

 ers' conventions have asked for this 

 change, and now we find a similar 

 request coming from another influen- 

 tial body, which, happily, has the 

 advantage of closer contact with the 

 legislators at OttaAva, and which un- 

 doubtedly enjoA'S the confidence of 

 the leaders of both sides of the House. 

 "VVe refer to the Canadian Forestry 

 Association, which, at its recent Ot- 

 tawa convention, passed the follow- 

 ing resolution : 



^Whereas efficiency in the adminis- 

 tration of the forests of Canada, 

 which are one of the greatest of the 

 national assets, can lie obtained only 

 by adopting a permanent policy car- 

 ried out by a staff ajipointed on the 

 grounds of special fitness for the posi- 

 tions which they are to fill, and re- 

 movable only on grou)id of ineffi- 

 ciency ; 



'Therefore, resolved that lliis as- 

 sociation urges on the federal and 

 provincial governments the necessity 

 for providing a system of examina- 

 tions to test the qualifications of ap- 

 pointees and of making appointments 

 permanent during good bebaviour, 

 and that in the case of the federal 

 government for this purpose appoint- 

 ments should be placed in the hands 

 of the Civil Service Commission.' 



There is a special reason why par- 

 tisan considerations should have no 

 place in the forestry service. The 

 work of the trained forester, in what- 

 ever branch, is of a highly .specializ- 



ed nature. Take, for example, the 

 task of the field inspectors, who visit 

 our prairie farms and advise farm- 

 ers as to the phmting of wind-breaks, 

 and the proper layout of the farm 

 grounds. This is a kind of work for 

 which only few men are fitted, and 

 in which a man devoid of an intimate 

 knowledge of trees could soon do an 

 inestimable amount of harm. And 

 when one considers any of the other 

 branches of the forestry work one 

 soon discovers that it, also, demands 

 the trained man. Indeed, one of the 

 greatest difficulties so far encounter- 

 ed by those in charge of forestry 

 work in Canada has been that of se- 

 curing enough men of the right class. 



What damage could be wrought by 

 rampant, ruthless partisanship in 

 such a department of the public ser- 

 vice, if at any time it should, by some 

 evil chance, happen to fall into the 

 hands of a leader whose love for the 

 party wholly upset his common sense ! 

 The damage would he incalculable. 

 In this service, calling for special 

 knowledge on the part of the work- 

 ers, it is plain to see that continuity 

 of service, irrespective of party su- 

 premacies, is of paramount impor- 

 tance. 



And it is so in most of the other 

 branches of public service. The agri- 

 cultural department, the inland reve- 

 nue department, the post office de- 

 partment, the railway department — - 

 in fact, all of them — demand that the 

 workers shall be fit for the job, rather 

 than that they wear a certain stripe 

 of political coat. 



The day when entrance to, promo- 

 tion in and expulsions from our civil 

 service shall be a matter of fitness, 

 rather than a question of political 

 favor, cannot come anv too soon. 



The Univoirity of Missouri has decided 

 to establii^h a siimmei' f-amp for Inmbermeu 

 and wooilMiien in connection with the sum- 

 mer ^es>ions of the dejiartnient of forestry 

 of the institution. Prof. J. A. Ferguson, 

 the ilireitor of the department, will be in 

 charjje. 



