The Minnesota fiery cross. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1924-19??, 1924-03-28

body Of professional foresters the sec
ton believes il essential that state
departments of forestry be organized
on a stable basis, uninfluenced by par
tisan politics, under the leadership
of competent forester, and with ade-
quate financial support. We regard
the action of the state board of for
estry in dis. .issing an official Of long
service and high standing in his pro-
fession without even a hearing as not
only unfair to you, but as constitut-
ing grave threat to the sound de-
velopment of state forest policy gen.
orally.
From F. w. Besley, state forester,
Baltimore, Maryland
Dear Cox: 1t is with profound re
greet that ! heard of your dismissal
as state forester of Minnesota.
You told me couple of years ago
some Of the difficulties that you were
having with certain predatory inter-
ests in the state, and while / have
not the particulars, it is very graft
flying to know that you did not sur
render, but went down fighting for
the principles that you believed to
be right. | feel and ! am sure the
"hOlC pIOlCoolOH lcClS lldI uulI1HeSO-
ia has taken backward step that she
will soon regret, or rather, certain
ones in position of authority have
taken step, in which ] feel sure
that the people of the state will not
acquiesce.
As state forester, want to file this
protest against the high-handed pro-
cedure, and express the hope that
there may be an opportunity to pre-
sent the case fairly and fully before
the people of the state, so that you
may be entirely indicated and sup
ported.
If there is anything that | can do
to help the cause of righteousness,
please do not hesitate to call upon
me.
Canadian for Cox
From F. T. Stevenson, district for
est Inspector, Winnipeg, Manitoba
My Dear Cox: have just learned
with much regret of your leaving the
Minnesota state forestry service and
| certainly deplore the shartsighted-
ness of the state forestry board in
taking the action they did. While
the whole incident is probably an I'M
happy one for you, it will certainly
bring before the public forestry mat
tiers in Minnesota in a manner no
other action might have accomplished,
and the loss to the state of Mime
sofa in any event will be much great
er than your personal loss, as the
stand you have taken will only in
crease your already high standing and
prestige in forestry matters in Amer
lea.
l hope that now you are Temporal
lily free that you will take what you
need-a we'll earned rest-and that |
may have the pleasure of seeing you
up here in the spring, when we will
certainly arrange some interesting
trips for you. No doubt your serv-
ices will be in immediate demand
for some more important position
than that of state forester of Min
nesota, but in any event do not &C
cept any position until you have had
few weeks up here with me.
While the present controversy in
Minnesota will no doubt die away, as
all such things do, the work that you
have done, the policies that you have
established and the interest that you
have created among the people will
live for all time, and you can GER
tainly feel that you are quitting work
which has been we'll done.
To the Forestry Board
Following is letter from j. S.
lima Geological and Economic Sur
vey, to the chairman of the Mime
sofa forestry board.
Dear Sir: | was very much sur
prised and distressed recently to hear
of the summary action taken by your
board against my friend and CO.
worker, Mr.. w. T. Cox, your state
forester l have known Mr.. Cox for
many years, having been connected
with him in the U. S. forest service
before either of US went into state
work. / consider Mr.. Cox one of the
leading men in his profession and
one of the most effective and out
standing state foresters in the coun-
try.
/ have, of course, no means of
knowing definitely what actuated
your board in discharging Mr.. Cox,
but if it was for political expediency
or personal spite, | claim the right
as friend of Mr.. Cox, as a member
of the the executive committee of
the Association of State Foresters,
and as president of the southern for
estry congress, of protesting most
strongly against such action. For
estry work must be removed from po-
litical influence in order to be eff
fective, as no self-respecting man af-
ter years of study and further years
of actual experience can subject him
sci to political dictation. Wherever
politics has entered into the for
estry work it has been to the detri-
ment of the state and the efficiency
of the work 1t is only by keeping
it on the high ground of efficiency
and uprightness that it can accom-
plish what it proposes. / hope that
you can bring this matter to the at
tention of your advisory board.