REORGANIZATION 269 



Reorganization of 1882. — On August 1, 1882/ the forest department 

 was reorganized. On that date the departmental estabhshment was 

 simplified and was reorganized to include general inspectors, conservators, 



"> "You will find below the text of a Government order, dated August 1, 1882, which 

 confirms the new organization of the Forest Department of which the foundations had 

 been laid by the Minister of Agriculture on the 28th of April preceding. The publica- 

 tions of M. Tassy, late Conservator of Forests, have made known to you the spirit 

 and object of this much needed reform. 



"It was in fact necessary to put an end to the confusion of functions everj^where 

 existing in our department; it was necessary to suppress divers grades corresponding to 

 identical duties as superfluous; and lastly, it was necessary to stop the frequent trans- 

 fers of forest officers, and to accelerate their chances of promotion to responsible posts. 



"Such are the results that we may be permitted to expect from these reforms. The 

 departmental establishment is simplified. It is composed of general inspectors, of 

 conservators, of inspectors, of general guards. It would seem useful to define sum- 

 marily the attributes attaching to these several grades. 



"General Inspectors. — They represent the superior administration in their tours 

 of inspection in the provinces. 



"Visiting the different forest regions every year, in frequent contact with the officers 

 of all grades, and thus becoming acquainted with their capabilities, it is the mission of 

 the general inspectors to secure unity of action in conformity with plans previously 

 agreed upon. 



"In the intervals between their tours, as members of the administrative council 

 under the presidency of the director general, they are enabled, from a complete local 

 knowledge, to offer their opinions on the proposals made by forest officers. 



"Conservators. — The conservator's r61e is to transmit orders and to explain their 

 spirit and object to the ofl^cers placed under his orders. His attributes are not altered, 

 but the control of operations and works, which he used to exercise in concurrence with 

 inspectors, now falls on him alone and will necessitate a greater activity on his part. 



"The efficacy of this control will besides be facilitated by the early formation of 

 new forest circles. 



"Inspectors. — The inspector of forests has now become the chief executive officer 

 of the department, and has the initiative and responsibility in all principal forest opera- 

 tions. He prepares and executes plans and estimates of works. He directs fellings, 

 whether principal or secondary, and remains responsible for those, the execution of 

 which is intrusted in certain cases to his subordinates. He issues all executive orders 

 and conducts all the correspondence. lender the new system he combines the former 

 duties of an inspector with most of those which hitherto devolved on range oflficers 

 (chefs de cantonment), that is, sub-inspector, general guard, or general guard 'adjoint.' 



"The execution of all those duties has been rendered possible by the Government 

 order of August 1, last, which increases the number of inspectors from .160 to 240, and 

 at the same time reduces the areas of their charges to about 30,000 acres. 



"The inspector will be assisted in his office work by a clerk, and in his other duties 

 by a number of subordinates from the secondary forest schools. The latter will serve 

 under his orders in charge of ranges with the title of general guard, and will be responsible 

 to him. 



"General Guards. — The general guard is an ofl!icer whose duties are essentially active, 

 who should be as often as possible lodged in a house belonging to the department, and 

 should keep neither an office nor records. ... In the same spirit it is intended 

 that in order to reward capable and zealous foresters, promotion to certain posts of 



