Imperial Valley press., 1927-04-01
FOREST SERVICE
WARNS AGAINST
RANGER SCHOOL,

The forest ranger 5 position is
not Il ''play time Job, as 4 mum
Der of advertising correspondence
schools picture it, says the Forest
Service. United States Department
of Agriculture.
Activities of several correspon,
dence schools which purport to pre-,
pare Young men for ranger jobs and
practically guarantee government
employment on the National Forests
upon completion of the course have
come to the attention of the Forest
Service, and a large number of let
tiers asking about ranger positions
which come by every mail to Forest
Service headquarters are believed
TO be the result of extensive adver-
tising on the part of some of these
schools.
MANY Of the statements in these
advertisements are misleading and
in some eases absolutely false, says
the Forest Service. These adver-
tisements frequently convey the i'm
preston that the forest ranger s job
is largely Il play-time job, or con-
venient means for an outing in the
woods, while. as Il matter of fact,
the position of forest ranger is a
permanent one of considerable res
possibility, requiring arduous work
often under difficult conditions. and
with definite requirements rs to
experience and ability.
Forest Service officials doubt
the value of correspondence schools
under ordinary circumstances in
furnishing proper preparation for
ranger positions. 1t is pointed out
that in order to pass the eX2lnina.
tion for ranger, applicants must
show in mental test that they
have adequate educational qualifi-
cations, lnd he law requires that
rangers shall be selected. when prac-
ticable. from qualified citizens of
the state in which the work lies. In
any event. no institution is autho-
rized to guarantee employment af-
ter its course is completed.
The following excerpts from 4
letter, written in answer TO an ;u-
9uiry from the advertising manager
of q midwes.arn journal concerning
these schools, expresses the poirt or
View Of the Forest Scrvi"e regard
mo the advertisements of sncl: in.
stitutions.
Advertisements Misleading
:Whether a study course purport-
ing to prepare men for forest ser
vice examinations is legitimate
enterprise necessarily depends upon
the circumstances of the particular
ease. 4 number Of advertisements
which have come to our attention
contain misleading if not ihtenlien-
ally I'M .rut!.ful statements c,acci"-
ing the natlra and requirements Of
the forest ranger position.
"We do not know what facilities
these correspondence schools have
fer giving the ns>e-.a.r instruc-
.i"n.. ~ we hav, had to say +
iuni',crs about ~ srs that
while the equivalent of graduation
from four-year high school course
is ordinarily necessary if a man is
to obtain Il passing mark in the
ranger examination held by the
civil service commission. the know.
ledge tha: man must have to an
swer the practical questions in
the examination comes mostly from
actual experience III the woods and
on the range. For :hese reasons we
have ncvnr felt that mar can OK
pect to be prepared adequately for
the examination by taking Il cor
respondence course. There are,
however, colleges and universities
in different parts of the country
which give ranger courses NJ the
;nstituiiOns themselves, the inStruc-
tion being given by men properly
oualified by experience in actual
forest work and in some instances
with practical demonstration III the
woods.
Advertising matter has been cir
culated to a considerable extent by
the alleged preparatory schools for
forest rangers In view, howeve-.
Of the requirement of the law that
rangers must be, rs far as prac'i"-
able, citizens of the state in which
the work lies. it is pointed out that
there are only limited opportunities
for forest ranger positions for yoana
men of many Of the states in which
there are no national forests.