AN AUSTRALIAN STUDY OF AMERICAN FORESTRY. 13 
limited functions, the nucleus of a forest force. It is more than probable that 
similar tendencies will lead to a development along the lines followed by the 
American service. 
The American forest administration is confined exclusively to the 
164,000,000 acres of National Forests, which are grouped within seven different 
forestry districts, each controlled by a district forester responsible directly to 
the forester at Washington on points of general policy, but otherwise vested 
entirely with authority to plan and manage his district in his own way. 
Each of the million acre forests within a district is in charge of a forest 
supervisor, who is the general manager of his forest, planning the work and 
seeing that it is carried out, subject to the general direction of the district 
forester. He is responsible for the supervision, protection, and improvement 
of the forest. 
His place in the scheme of organisation comes closest to that of forest 
guard in the New South Wales plan, but his responsibilities and functions are 
wider in accordance with the more expanded forest policy. 
He is allotted a personnel for carrying on the work of the forest, which 
is determined by the district forester from annual estimates submitted by him. 
He has full authority over all forest officers detailed to his forest, and 
““may make such assignments and delegate such authority as he may consider 
necessary, provided such assignments or delegations of authority are not 
specifically prohibited.” 
The forest supervisor is often a graduate in forestry. The position is 
filled by promotion from the classified positions of the Forest Service. 
The district ranger occupies the position in the organisation analogous 
to that of forest overseer in New South Wales, or resident forester in Queens- 
land. It is a position which will have to be provided for in any extension of 
forestry practice in Australia, more especially in the western grazing forests. 
Probably, returned soldiers of suitable bent could be utilised. 
The district ranger in the United States of America Service controls one 
of the eight or nine divisions of the forest—averaging 100,000 acres each, 
subject to the direction of the supervisor. 
He has entire charge of the routine work involved in the supervision of 
grazing, timber sale, free use, special use, and other contracts and permits, 
.the direction of the protection and improvement plans, and the examination 
and reporting on applications for any use of the forest, including settlement and 
other claims. He exercises, within his district, the delegated authority of the 
supervisor for the administration of the forest. His headquarters are either 
at the nearest business centre or permanent headquarters are provided on the 
forest. 
He is given charge of the temporary labourers (called forest guards), 
working on the forest. 
This constitutes the general administrative and supervisional forest force. 
Where the work is heavy or involved, the organisation is filled out by the 
appointment of temporary assistants, or specialists are detailed from the 
district office. 
