36 THE NATIONAL FOBEST MANUAL. 



Departmental and Service Correspondence. 



Departmental and Service correspondence will comprise the classes specified 

 under these headings for the Washington office. 



Whenever possible, the District Forester will submit letters for the signature 

 of the Secretary or the Forester and not merely furnish statements to serve as 

 the basis for the preparation of letters in Washington. All papers necessary for 

 a complete understanding of the case will accompany such letters. 



District Correspondence. 



The following classes of correspondence will be signed by the District For- 

 ester : Letters to the Forester ; letters to other District Foresters ; letters mate- 

 rially affecting the standing of any Forest officer; letters of allotment and 

 authorization; letters dealing with matters affecting the district as a whole; 

 and circular letters to supervisors necessitating additions to the field force. 

 When dealing entirely with one line of work, these may be signed by the assist- 

 ant district forester with the approval of the District Forester. District For- 

 esters will sign letters to officers of the executive departments who are not in 

 Washington, provided such correspondence does not deal with matters of general 

 policy, when to correspond through Washington would seriously delay action. 



Requests for status may be signed by the assistant district forester in charge 

 of the office requiring it as acting district forester. 



The assistant district foresters in charge of offices will sign correspondence 

 handled in their respective offices not included above. 



Supply Depot and Property Audit Correspondence. 



Correspondence relating to requisitions for and shipments of supplies will be 

 carried on directly with the property clerk. Correspondence relating to the 

 actual settlement of property accounts will be Carried on with the property 

 auditor, Ogden, Utah. 



SIGNING. 

 Prompt Action Required. 



Neither in Washington nor in the district or supervisors' offices must the 

 absence of any officer interfere with action upon correspondence. Even when 

 final action can not be taken at once, the letter should be acknowledged immedi- 

 ately and the correspondent informed of the date upon which action will be 

 taken. 



Each member who prepares letters will keep a basket on top of his desk, in 

 which only unanswered letters or other matters needing immediate attention 

 will be placed. Unanswered letters or other papers dealing with unfinished 

 current business must not be kept in drawers or pigeonholes. Important papers 

 will be safely put away at the close of each day. 



Washington Office. 



Letters to District Foresters will be signed only by administrative officers of 

 the Forest Service. Letters to the public will be signed by members in Wash- 

 ington below the rank of assistant chief of office or of administrative assistant 

 only when authorized by the chief of branch concerned, and then only as acting 

 chief of office. 



District Offices Details as Acting- District Forester. 



In the absence of the District Forester, district, correspondence will be signed 

 by a designated assistant district forester as acting district forester. 



No member of the district office below the rank of assistant district forester 

 will sign official mail, except under the authority of the District Forester, and 

 then only as acting assistant district forester. 



Supervisors* Offices. 



In the absence of the supervisor, the deputy supervisor will, as a general 

 rule, sign as acting supervisor. If both the supervisor and deputy supervisor 

 are absent, the supervisor will detail, in writing, a member of the Forest force 

 to serve as acting supervisor, who will handle all business of the office, with the 

 exception of important matters, which he should hold until the supervisor's 

 return. No Forest correspondence will be signed by the member of the Forest 

 force " for the supervisor " or " per " the member's own name or initials. 



Clerks Seldom Acting Supervisor. 



It may be necessary for an acting supervisor to approve important papers 

 which may be required as evidence. It is important, therefore, that the 



