HOSTILITY TO NATIONAL FORESTS 287 



There might easily be a question as to the justification for any con- 

 siderable expenditure for expenses of officials going to deliver lectures. 

 A number of members of the Forest Service have at different times 

 performed such work, but it was usually incidental to other work. As 

 a rule, addresses before educational institutions, associations of wood 

 users, commercial and civic organizations, and general audiences, are 

 made by men en route and without cost to the Forest Service, except 

 the expenditure of time involved.^ Even so, however, this has not been 

 an altogether negligible item, for, as late as 1916, 425 addresses were 

 given by members of the Forest Service. Whether this be a proper 

 function of the Forest Service or not is a question concerning which 

 there may well be an honest difference of opinion." 



Regarding the preparation and publication of articles by the Forest 

 Service, much the same must be said. Almost all investigators em- 

 ployed by the Forest Service who have done work of any considerable 

 importance, have doubtless been engaged at some time in writing 

 matter for publication, either in official bulletins or in magazines or 

 newspapers. The Forest Service always has a number of men employed 

 in investigative work and it is desirable that the results of such work 

 should be made available to the public. The Service has for many 

 years had in its employ one or more men engaged primarily in editing 

 manuscripts for official publication, and these editors have sometimes 

 written matter for publication, both in official bulletins and circulars 

 and in periodicals and newspapers. At times the Service has had men 

 whose function was chiefly or entirely to diffuse information through 

 the press. At one time the Service had a mailing list of 750,000 names 

 and from five to seven men were employed in editing and sending out 

 material. That the work of attending to this mailing list is an expen- 

 sive matter, may be inferred from the fact that the installation of an 

 addressing machine by the Forest Service in 1908 is reported to have 

 reduced the clerical force of the Service by thirty persons. 



In some ways, this publicity work has been about as much needed 

 and as valuable a line of work as any that the Forest Service performs. 



8 H. Doc. 681; 62 Cong. 2 sess.: Report, Sec. of Agr., 1912, 466 et seq. See also 

 S. Doc. 485; 60 Cong. 1 sess. 



9 H. Doc. 681; 62 Cong. 2 sess.: Report, Sec. of Agr., 1912, 466 et seq. See also 

 S. Doc. 485; 60 Cong. 1 sess.: Report, Chief of the Division of Forestry, 1891, 195. 



