54 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



a man, technicallj educated, becoming familiar with all the 

 details of conditions and with the peoi)le directly concerned 

 and the circumstances surrounding their problems, would 

 soon become wise enoug-h to siiijti^est the details for the 

 fornudation and execution of a broad, statesmanlike policy 

 for the State. This suggestion, wdiich General Appleton, as 

 chairman of your forestry coiumittee, embodied in his report, 

 together with other valuable suggestions of his own, is as 

 pertinent to-day as it Avas then. 



Whatever else may be proposed in the way of legislation, 

 — and there is alread}^ much that is excellent in 3^our stat- 

 utes, — providing a competent executive officer who looks 

 after the enforcement and proper application of the law is 

 the most necessary condition of the success of such legisla- 

 tion. The interests are large enough for the State to be 

 able to employ such a man, and the very best man who can 

 be found. 



I see that your Board of Agriculture, under act of 18)S2, 

 acts also as a Board of Forestry, without pay ; and as such 

 is to look after forest fires, promotion of forest growth, and' 

 "shall have the supervision and management" of the public 

 forest domains, which the towns might accjuire. Without 

 reflecting upon the well-known devotion and capacity of the 

 single members of your honorable Board, I submit that the 

 competency of boards in general for executive work may be 

 questioned ; that, with the multifarious duties in addition 

 to the pri\'ate aftairs of the members of such a board, oidy 

 the development of general policy upon the basis of expert 

 advice can be expected of them ; but without executive offi- 

 cers specially charged with the execution of these policies 

 their inauguration will always be slow and lame. 



Here a discussion as to the propriety of reliance on self- 

 rule would be pertinent. Allow me only to i)oint out that 

 human nature is everywhere the same, and that a policeman 

 or at least a friendly advisor or admonisher is often needful, 

 even where self-interest might be expected to be sufficient. 



I also note repeatedly in the reports of the chaii'nian of 

 your committee on forestry and roads a plaintive, although 

 resigned, allusion to the absence of any funds to be applied 



