ADMINISTRATION 53 



California launches are operated by the Forest 

 Service on Lake Tahoe to patrol the region around 

 the lake for forest fires. Ferries, boats, and 

 launches belonging to private companies or indi- 

 viduals are used by agreement or if necessary are 

 bought by the Service from the Improvement 

 funds. Speeders, motor cars, and hand cars on 

 railroads or logging roads are often used when an 

 agreement has been made with the company. In 

 this way railroads are made a part of the transpor- 

 tation system of the Forest. 



Communication Facilities. The system of com- 

 munication on the National Forests is scarcely less 

 important than the system of transportation. This 

 system includes telephone lines, signal systems, and 

 mail service. The telephone system, as can be 

 readily seen, is of the utmost importance for the 

 transaction of all kinds of National Forest busi- 

 ness. In case a Forest Ranger wishes to speak to 

 his Supervisor about controlling a large fire, it 

 makes a great difference whether he can talk to 

 him over the telephone or whether he must send a 

 messenger on horseback perhaps 60 or 70 miles. 

 In the former case practically no time is lost, in 

 the latter it would take at least two days for the 



