Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-10
Says Forestry Law is
Prostituted, Not obsysd'
Assals Abolition Of Collegiate
Training al Federal Expense.
Decision Of Illegally, He Says, Sc.
cured Under False Prete nses.

New York. Feb 9.-Gifford Pinchot,
ieposcd chief forester of the United
| states, but still loyal to his poslcles as
president of the National Conservation
Commission, defended the rangers Oh
the forest service in speech dellV-
cred before the National Arts Club IN
New York tonight. He bitterly aSsaii-
ed tho action of George T. McCabe. So
lic;tor of the department. who as tent
3orar,r chief, after Pinchot's dismissal.
took action to abolish the collegiate
training of foresters at government eX-
pense. This action Mr.. Pinchot de-
scribed as a secret attack on the SER
vice prostitution of the law, a method
so effectively used by special interests
gainst the people. and a cruel and
needless loss" He said in part:
Il am as proud of the forest service and
its men as | ever was, and 1 venture to
think that it has proved the value of its
ideal by its achievements and the enc
mics it has made Now, let ME give you
the best Illustration / have seen in re-
cent years of how a public officer. under
pretext of obedience to law, may traffic
with it and abuse it to the public injury.
Upon my dismissal the solicitor of the
department of agriculture George P. Nc
Cabe), pending the arrival of another Of
ficer from the field, was made acting for
ester for three or four days. 1t appears
that he learned then of the ranger schools
at the four state universities and sent tel
egrams to the disbursing offices in the
field to pay no expense connected with
them. These kilograms were kept secret.
With equal concealment from all the men
in the forest service letter was sent to
the comptroller asking for a speedy ad-
vance decision as to the legality OF the
ranger schools. This letter was clearly
intended, and was so framed, as to Sc
cure decision against the schools, and
it was successful in doing so.
This letter is a Misrepresentation be-
cause it omits to state the central, essen
tial and incontrovertible facts: First that
the forest service must have trained rang
ers, and second, that it can get them only
by training them after they enter the SER
vice.
Consider now the situation under
which this decision of the comptroller
was obtained. The solicitor of the de-
partment of agriculture is the officer
charged with promoting the welfare of
the department and all it's bureaus on the
legal side, and yet he made no attempt
to assist the service in this matter On
the contrary, he led the secret attack
upon it and used an excuse and made no
attempt to defend it. The men of the for
est service We're first informed that the
legality of the work was in question only
after adverse judgment had been render
ed without giving them any hearing what
soever.
II am not concerned with the motive be-
hind this indefensible sacrifice OF the
public welfare. 1t is a typical illustration
of a certain way to obey the law. OF
course, it is not obedience to the law at
ALL but the prostitution of the law. 1t
is the method so effectively used by the
special interest against the people and
there is nothing to be said in its favor.
1.-The whole proceeding is not seen in its
true light until we realize it's effect on
nearly 200 of the best young men in the
forest service, who were officially ordered
to those schools for instruction. These
rangers are poor men, working for from
$500 to $500 a year; and they need their
pay. Yet they will lose not only their pay
for the time they attended these schools,
but the money already advanced out OF.
their own pockets for travelling and 9TH
er expenses.
ut is a cruel and needless loss. If the
spirit of the forest service, and especial
~ of the rangers. were less admirable,
the harm done to the national forests by
the decision so obtained would be meal
cuIable At the best it will be nearly as
far-reaching as it is needless, and that
is saying a great deal. But the fine 10y
atty of these rangers to their work is
shown by the fact that about half of
them have stayed on at the ranger
schools at their own expense in order
the better to learn their public duties"