The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-02-10
THE BRADFIELD CO., ATLANTA, GA.

WHICH tnlS decision OIL the COutTOllNi
was obtained:
The solicitor Of the department Of
agriculture is the officer charged with
prompting the welfare of the depart,
mont and all its bureaus on the legal
aide Both as solicitor and acting for
ester he was In honor and In duty
bound to forward the work OF the for.
est service by every lawful means at
his command. BY his official position
he was It's counsel and advocate. Yet,
he. made no attempt to assist the SER
vice In this matter.
"On the contrary, he led the secret
attack upon II. The men of the for
est service were first informed that
the legality of their work was in ques-
ton only after adverse Judgment had
been rendered without giving them
any hearing whatsoever.
II am not concerned with the mo-
tive behind this indcfenslble sacrifice
Of the public welfare IL Is a typical
illustration OF a certain way to obey
the law. OF course, II is not obedience
to the law at all, but the prostitution
of the law.
Cruel and Needless.
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 $1,000
a year. and they need their pay, Yet
they Will not lose only their pay for
the time they attended the schools.
hut the money. already advanced out
of their own pockets for travelling and
other expenses.
1T lis a cruel and needless loss II
the spirit of the forest service. and
especially the rangers, were less ad-
mlrable. the harm done TO the ma
tlonal forests by the decision so OBJ.
tanned would be incalculable
The fine loyalty 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 eX-
pense the better to learn their public
duties.
Their devotion in doing so is worthy
of all praise, but | do not believe the
people of the United States can afford
to let that devotion stand unrepald by
duN lDllk ulOlt ludl alut IlOluOllpi VI
these men who have already earned
by the quality OF their work
"It would be bad indeed if this
gTatitutIous check to the Improvement
OF the public service were nothing
moro than a-rebuke to the higher ofTi-
Gers OF the service who were respon-
sible for the ranger schools. They
were doing their duty as they saw 1t,
But when the hardship of it falls, as
IL does. upon the men who can least
afford TO carry II, who simply obeyed
orders, It's ruthless disregard of or
binary humanity becomes Its most
striking characteristic.
1T would be hard 10 find. better
or a more bitter illustration OF the
use of the law as a cover for not
doing what public officer has right
to do and what the public interests
demand that he shall do. ! submit the
two points of view to your judgment
and abide by yoIr decision
Mccabe Enters Denial.
Washington, Feb. Absolutely
untrue" is the answer In which
George P McCabe, solicitor for the
department OF agriculture, character
lied the charge made by Mr. Pinchot
that McCabe had shut off the instruc-
tion OF forest rangers without consult
ing anyone in the forest service
Believing that such expenditure was
not legally permissible, Mr.. McCabe
said he brought the matter to the at.
tentlon of the chief. of the various
divisions of the service They de
clared the practice was being fol
lowed