The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-17
SERVICE
TOOTS ITS HORN
While Doing So 1t Violates the
Postal Laws and Causes
Others to Do the Same.
PRESS BUREAU TOO ACTIVE
ATTEMPT TO WORK UP PUBLIC
SENTIMENT.
tspeeial 10 lie Herald.D

Washington. Aug. 16-In its efforts TO
boom it's own activities the forest service
of the United States has been led, accord
ing to some of the legal officers of the
government TO violate the postal laws.
and has been the means of others vio-
lstlng them The head of the forest serv-
rec, Forester Clifford Pinchot is alive to
the Importance OF having the favorable
side of the forest service called to the at
tentiOn of the public, and is on to the
fact that the press of the country affords
the best medium for this publicity. Ever
since the organization OF the forest seTN-
ice Mr.. PinchOt has maintained as one
of the adjuncts Of the service press bu-
reau, the duties of which have been to
keep the newspapers of the country well
supplied with literature favorable TO the
service. At first this literature consisted
mainly of news matter, pure and simple,
and il formed a portion of the daily grlSt
of news sent by the Washington CORE
spondent to his newspaper connections,
and MIR. PinchOts enterprise in furnishing
II was appreciated.
During the last session of congress, il
will be remembered, there was an at
tack on the forest service in which
number of prominent western senators
and representatives Joined. The attack
was not against forestry Of Itself, but
mainly against what was termed the au-
tocracy of the forest service as admins
tered by MIR. pinchot. At the close OF the
session the matter was left in the shape
of drawn battle with indications that
it would be renewed at the next session
of congress.
Anticipating the coming conflict the
press bureau of the forest service has
been handling editorials as well as news
to the newspaper correspondents since the
close Of the last session of congress-
An item announcing that a permit has
been granted John Smith to pasture his
COW in a forest reserve has been accom-
panied by a long disquisition upon the
benificence of the service in granting such
a privilege According TO the press bu-
reaU the forest service in every act II
performs is adding comfort and money
to the lives and pockets of the benighted
westerners, and an editorial to this ef-
feet has been attached to each news item
given TO the newspaper correspondents.
Not relishing having ready-made opln-
ions dished out to them the editorial por-
ton of these items have been blue-pen-
ciIed or more frequently, the entire OF
fering has been consigned to the waste
basket by many correspondents ana the
forest service press bureau. while work
ing overtime to get up literature, has
seen but little of il in print
In order that the press bureau might
collect all of the items printed without
subscribing to the newspapers or clip
ping bureau. it has recently attached TO
the items furnished the correspondent adj
dressed slips, conveniently perforated, so
that they might be readily detached, with
this request:
The forest service will be glad to see
a marked copy of the paper in which the
Enclosed material appears, if you use it.
Nv pastfng the attached blank slip On the
wrapper the paper can be mailed without
a stamp"
Penalty Is $500.
Law officers of the government to
whose attention this matter has been
called say there is nothing in the law to
authorize the transmission Of newspapers
to the office of the forest service simply
because they contain notice of some
matter which had its source in that Of
flee 1t is the opinion of the law officers
also that the newspaper which may COM
DIv with the requests of the forest service
NAV unwittingly be called upon to pay
the $500 penalty prescribed for the Illegal
use of the ranking privilege.