The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-08-17
Forestry Chief Close Friend
to Bryan, Taft, and
Roosevelt.
STILLED PREJUDICE
BY GREAT SERVICE
Has Done Much for Government
and the Country During His
Tenure of Office.

There is considerable evidence that
Clifford PinChOt. chief forester. has III
mind that he may not continue IN that
position under the next Administration.
Some activities at his big bureau have
been construed by observers. inside and
as indicating SO much.
II Mr.. PinchOt doesn't remain in his
present position under a TAFT Admins
tration, il viii be because he will be-
come "a Cabinet member This Is the
universal belief. at least based on the
fact that he IS only a less intimate
friend OF MIR. Taft than OF the Presi-
rent, and that the latter has long
been credited with a desire. If ever
should present. 20 make Mr..
Pinchot one OF the Cabinet family. Such
a promotion would mean that he would
become Secretary OF Agriculture.
Mir. PinchCt is the real father OF Gov
eminent forestry IN this country, and
on that subject he has been tirelessIy
industrious and inexhaustibly enthusias-
tic. For a long time he was misunder-
stood and widely regarded as a crank
Thought a Faddist.
The fact that he is a wealthy man
was even an occasion for suspicion that
he waz a mere faddist and could not
possibly have an intelligent notion OF
what he was trying 10 DO.
But as time passed, his work made
progress, people came TO understand
what he was doing for them. and the
pressing necessity that it be done. Then
the situation shifted and today it may
DC doubted II there IS any enterprise OF
the Government which Is more popular
with the vast body OF people than the
work OF the Forestry Bureau
Dir. PlnchOt has come into his yindica-
tlon. Representatives and Senator's who
at one time set about d crusade against
Llm and MS bureau, have about given
II up Ia despair. They heard so much
from the country and found the friends
OF forestry work 50 active and deter
mlnteds that IL became plain their night
was decidedly unpopular.
Ihe Preside ~ stood squarely back OF
Mr. PiNchots = nj between The Presf-
dents strength and the solid popular
belief ia the forestry work. il was use
less 20 keep the night going. The West
era Senators who tried desperately 10
naulsJflnS the Bureau of Forestry, and
who made earnest appeal 10 the East,
aWOke II last TO the fact that the East
and South, instead OF being willing 20
sympaIalze with them, were themselves
anxious 10 get IN for some OF the for
estry work. New England wanted d re-
serve in the White mountains, and the
South was unit for tie great southern
Appalachian project.
Wins His Fight.
As a result OF his long fight, Mr..
Pinchot has his work organized and
established in such shape that it is con-
sidered safe for the future It will go
ahead safely enough under its own
momentum, and The pressure of public
demand FOR it.
BY way of making the work more
popular in the country where 1t is car
ried on, the Forest Service is now max
ing plans 10 establish forest districts
throughout the West, each with a gen
eral executive headquarters. from which
affairs for the tributary territory will
be hSudled. The plan has a dual OBJ
ject. II viii get the work and its super
vision closer TO the territory, and save
much time and expense IN handling
business by mail. II Will make close
supervision more readily possible; and
beyond this, II viii bring the work close
to the people who are concerned by II.
The prejudice against this work in the
mountain and far " eSJcrn states IS not
yet nearly dead. Those States are am
bilious for immigration, growth, and
DEVELOPMENT. They do not view with
satisfaction the spectacle of the Gov
ernneut Withdrawing one-third of the
area of a great state from settlement,
in order TO turn It into reserves. This
is what Senator Hepburn declared had
been done in his State Of Idaho.
What Was Needed.
He was willing TO admit that posterity
might rise and call blessed those men
who had been so thoughtful as thus to
conserve a supply of timber; but, deal
ing with his own State, ana dealing In
the present, he found that the people
wanted those vast areas opened for set
tlement and development; they wanted
homesteaders 10 come in; they wanted
to see numbering plants esta blished to
turn the forests into movable wealth.
They wanted the privilege OF growing,
and with such vast territories hedged
off for indefinite periods, growth was in
large measure stunted.
That is the attitude of the directors
Thus far they have been ridden down,
and everything indicates that IN future
their protests will have less and less
weight. The new organization is ex-
pected TO help further popularize the
work
At each Of the district Offices will he
located a district chief and assistant
with such scientific and Office force as
rnay. he necessary For the present IL lis
expected that a IoIce Of about fifty
peopIe will be established at each dis
trict Office, and most of these will be
moved directly from the big Washing
ton bureau.
such work as planting, experimental
ton in selection of tees. use OF the re-
serve areas. where It is possible. for
grazing. etc, viii be given care
ful attention: each headquarters viii
have its own complete accounting
service.
In Ideal Form.
When these headquarters are estab-
lighed the bureau viii have been at last
placed in the ideal permanent form Mr.,
Pinchot has long desired. The locations
of the district offices ara not yet finally
determined. Portland and Spokane both
want the north Pacific establishment
which wiz probably go to Portland
san Francisco or Sacramento win get
the one for California. but the decisior
is yet to be made: Albuquerque VIII
probably get the Southwestern Office
Denver and AIissoula, Mont, stand To tos
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