10 AN AUSTRALIAN STUDY OF AMERICAN FORESTRY. 
The High Court ruled that— 
“Under the Acts establishing forest reservations, their use for 
grazing or other lawful purposes is subject to rules and regulations 
established by the Secretary of Agriculture, and it being impracticable 
for Congress to provide general regulations, that body acted within 
its constitutional power in conferring power on the secretary to 
establish such rules; the power so conferred, being administrative 
and not legislative, is not an unconstitutional delegation.” 
Forestry is a technical business, and foresty administrations should possess 
powers wide enough to permit of the management of the forests in accordance 
with the technical considerations attached to every particular case. 
The forest laws of most of the Australian States are hedged by restrictions 
unknown to the American enactments. What was deemed “impracticable ” 
by the United States of America Congress was attempted by our State Parlia- 
ments, which have closely governed and limited the regulations frameable 
thereunder, and made them subject to Parliamentary approval. 
To the Australian forester, the powers possessed by the United States of 
America forestry administration are enviable—and it is believed that the 
extraordinary development of the United States forest system is almost 
entirely due to Congress realising that it was not technically qualified to draw 
up rules of forest management ! 
That the confidence of Congress in the forest administration was not 
misplaced is indicated in the letter of the Secretary of Agriculture to the 
Forester, dated February 1, 1905, in which the general forest policy under the 
organic Acts of 1891 and 1897 was laid down for his guidance in framing 
the regulations and instructions for the use of the national forests. It is 
worth quoting— 
“Tn the administration of the forest reserves, it must be clearly 
borne in mind that all land is to be devoted to its most productive 
use for the permanent good of the whole people and not for the 
temporary benefit of individuals or companies. All the resources of 
forest reserves are for use, and this use must be brought about in a 
thoroughly prompt and businesslike manner, under such restrictions 
only as will insure the permanence: of these resources. The vital 
importance of forest reserves to the great industries of the Western 
States will be largely increased in the near future by the continued 
steady advance in settlement and development. The permanence 
of the resources of the reserves is, therefore, indispensable to continued 
prosperity, and the policy of this department for their protection 
and use will invariably be guided by this fact, always bearing in 
mind that the conservative use of these resources in no way conflicts 
with their permanent value. 
“You will see to it that the water, wood, and forage of the 
reserves are conserved and wisely used for the benefit of the home 
builder, first of all, upon whom depends the best permanent use of 
lands and resources alike. The continued prosperity of the agri- 
cultural, lumbering, mining, and livestock interests is directly 
dependent upon a permanent and accessible supply of water, wood, 
and forage, as well as upon the present and future use of these 
resources under business-like regulations enforced with promptness, 
effectiveness, and common sense. In the management of each reserve, 
local questions will be decided upon local grounds, the dominant 
industry will be considered first, but with as little restriction to 
minor industries as may be possible; sudden changes in industrial 
