270 FEATURES OF FRENCH NATIONAL FOREST ADMINISTRATION 



inspectors, and forest assistants.^ The general inspectors represented 

 the administration at Paris and inspected the work throughout France. 

 In the office they passed upon proposals submitted by forest officers. 

 The conservator transmitted orders sent him from Paris and explained 

 their spirit and object to the officers under his charge. The inspectors 

 were made the chief executive officers and had the initiative and re- 

 sponsibility for all important forest operations, such as executing plans 

 and making estimates, supervision of fellings, correspondence, and such 

 work as is now performed by forest supervisors in the United States. 

 Under the inspectors the forest assistants performed field work, but were 

 not responsible for administration. They assisted and supervised 

 rangers and guards. The organization of 1882 did not last long, for 

 in 1883 they returned to the system of "cantonments" managed by 

 forest assistants and assistant inspectors. The general inspectors' 

 positions which had been done away with in 1887 and replaced by 

 administrators under the director at Paris were reestablished at the 

 end of 1911, but the number was reduced to two. A resume of the suc- 

 cessive organizations is shown in the table which follows: 



TABLE 23.— NUMBER OF OFFICERS IN EACH GRADE 



General inspectors 



Administrators 



Conservators 



Cnief of personnel 



Directors and professors 



Inspectors 



Assistant inspectors 



Forest assistants 



Inspector (assistant) in office 



Forest assistants, fourth and fifth classes. 

 Forest assistants (office) 



39 



189 

 300 

 213 



41 



1 



3 



244 



234 



243 



65 



3 

 36 



5 

 237 



228 

 179 



56 



3 

 37 



"5 

 235 

 223 

 202 



46 



etc 



Total supervisory force. 

 Total subalterns 



234 

 584 



287 

 554 



281 

 463 



280 

 471 



Totals. 



818 



851 



744 



751 



general guard may be open to them, although they may not have undergone the tests 

 of passing out from the secondary schools. 



"For the success of the reform, I rely on the zeal and good will of officers of all grades. 

 They will find in the new organization better chances of promotion, and will be able 

 to devote a part of the time hitherto spent in the office to out-door work. To these 

 advantages I hope that increased pay may soon be added, and in this expectation I am 

 encouraged by the benevolent intentions of which the Minister of Agriculture has 

 already given us so many proofs. In any case I can announce that traveling allow- 

 ances will shortly be better proportioned to the actual expenses incurred by officers." 



8 For detailed data and names of officers see the Annuaire des Eaux et Forets, pub- 

 lished annually by the Revue des Eaux et Forets. 



