38 THE NATIONAL FOREST MANUAL. 



Legal Documents. 



All legal documents will be written on letter-size paper. 

 Numbering 1 Pages Initialing Pages. 



The pages of all letters and documents, except those of only one page, will 

 be numbered at the bottom of the page, in the middle. To give space for the 

 number, the last line on the page should be at least three-quarters of an inch 

 from the bottom. When a letter is more than one page, all pages except the 

 first will bear the initials of the person addressed, on the left side in a separate 

 line at the top, triple spaced above the body of the letter. 



Paper. 



Correspondence and final reports will be written on white paper, and all 

 memorandums and scratch copies, even though typewritten, on yellow paper. 



Date. 



The date should be half an inch below the lowest printed line on the letter- 

 head. The month should not be abbreviated. Figures alone should be used for 

 the day, as " March 30." 



The date will be omitted in letters prepared in the Washington office for the 

 signature of the Secretary of Agriculture until after such letters are initialed 

 by the Forester, but will be inserted before the letters are forwarded to the 

 Secretary for signature. The date will be omitted in letters prepared in dis- 

 trict offices for the signature of the Secretary or of the Forester, and will be 

 inserted on the letters and the accompanying carbons in the Washington office. 



Address. 



The name and address should be double spaced when they require but two 

 lines, and single spaced if more than two. 



Special care will be taken to prefix the correct title, either official or 

 honorary. 



Ordinarily Government officials," including officers of the Forest Service, will 

 be addressed by their official titles only. The titles will be omitted from 

 letters written to members of the Service by name. 



Salutation. 



" Dear Sir " should ordinarily be used, unless the letter answered has a more 

 intimate form of salutation. Only in very formal letters should "Sir" be 

 used. Titles should be written out. 



Complimentary Close. 



With "Sir" use "Very respectfully"; with "Dear sir", "Very truly 

 yours"; with "Dear Mr. - -", or "My dear Mr. - -", "Very sincerely 

 yours." 



Language Brevity. 



Use direct, clear-cut language. Avoid odd or lengthy words when shorter, 

 simpler ones will express the idea. Be concise but courteous. Avoid laborious 

 statements, the essence of which might well be expressed in half the space. 

 Very few letters need be longer than one page. 



Avoid Preambles. 



Never use the substance of the letter received as a preamble to the reply. 

 Unless the letter to be answered has already been acknowledged and further 

 reference to its subject matter is necessary, its contents should not be indi- 

 cated in the initial sentence. Reference must always be made, however, to file 

 numbers or initials for identification. 



Form of Acknowledgment Reference to Key Initials. 



For acknowledgments or replies to the public, the initial sentence should 

 usually be in this form : " Your letter of March 30 is received." In corre- 

 spondence between the various officers of the Service reference should also 

 be made to the key initials on the letter answered, including the case or subject 

 designation if its designation differs from the one to be used in reply. 



Courtesy. 



The phrase " you will " should not be used in giving orders or instructions. 

 It is i>eremptory without adding force, and a friendlier tone is more courteous 

 and fully as effective. 



