for temporary patrol and protective work, or when it is impossible to get rangers from the list of eligibles furnished by the Civil Service Commission.

In all cases application for employment as forest guard should be made to the supervisor. Preference in the appointment of guards will always be given to local residents, especially those who desire to take the civil-service examination for forest ranger.

In recommending the appointment of a forest guard the supervisor should state his full name and the date on which he is to begin work. When appointments are recommended by telegraph, a copy of the telegram should be forwarded immediately by mail, or the spelling of the name confirmed by letter. This is absolutely necessary, since appointments are not signed until the confirmation is received, unless the proper spelling is already a matter of record in the Washington office. Supervisors should fully inform all applicants of the conditions under which they will serve. Guards must not begin work until the supervisor has been informed of the date on which their appointments take effect.

MEETINGS.

In order to give Forest officers the benefit of each other's experience, to keep them in touch with the entire work of the Forest, and to promote esprit de corps, a general meeting of the entire force on each Forest should be held annually. The time and place of the meeting will be left to the discretion of the supervisor. If possible he should hold a joint meeting with the supervisors of adjacent Forests. Such meetings should generally be held during the winter or in the spring shortly before the beginning of the fire season. They should be held, as far as possible, not in towns, but on the Forests. Meetings in large towns and cities should especially be avoided. Administrative officers from Washington and inspectors will be present at these meetings whenever possible.

The supervisor should give a brief statement of the affairs of the Forest, an outline of the work accomplished in the past year, and of plans for the future, to give the rangers some knowledge of what is going on outside their immediate districts. He should especially invite discussion and suggestions. Any doubtful points on which a ranger desires information should be brought up and thoroughly discussed. Informal talks should be given by Forest officers on technical problems, such as mapping and timber estimating, the different systems of marking, and silvics, which should be supplemented by actual demonstration in the woods. Such topics as permanent improvement work, fire fighting, and brush burning should be thoroughly discussed, and the rangers encouraged to give each other the advantage of their individual experience. The necessary transportation charges and expenses for lodging and subsistence may be authorized on application to the Forester.

The supervisor should always notify the Forester in advance of the date and place of meetings, and must request authority to hold meetings when an increase in his letter of authorization will be necessary.

Meetings of all supervisors within a given territory will be held at convenient points from time to time, to discuss matters of general policy.

Supervisors may be authorized by the Forester to attend, upon invitation, stock meetings, where such attendance is necessary to secure a proper understanding by Forest users of the administration of the National Forests, and in order that the Forest Service may profit by the suggestions of the users themselves.

After a meeting of any kind attended by him or any member of his force, the supervisor concerned will submit to the Forester à report with regard to the attendance of men from his Forest. The place, date, and kind of meeting should be stated, also the name and official designation of each member of his force in attendance. A statement should also be made concerning each man, his starting point, destination, and total expenses for attendance at the meeting. This report is in addition to the usual brief report of the transactions of each meeting.

REG. 1. The promotion of Forest officers will be considered only once a year, and all promotions for the year will be made on January 1, except in cases of transfer or reassignment.

EXAMINATIONS.

In accordance with the law which requires the selection of rangers and supervisors, when practicable, from the States and Territories in which they are to be employed (Appendix, p. 218), and the President's order placing them in the classified civil service, examinations for the position of assistant forest ranger are held, as required, in each State and Territory in which National Forests are situated.

Examinations for the position of forest ranger are along thoroughly practical lines, and are supplemented by field tests to determine the applicant's fitness to do the actual work on the Forest. The Civil Service Commission appoints Forest officers to conduct these examinations.

When authorized by the Civil Service Commission, additional expenses incurred by Forest officers on account of these examinations will be reimbursed. The accounts will not include any other items of National Forest administration, and will be sent to the Forester for transmission to the Civil Service Commission.

When certified by the Civil Service Commission and recommended by a supervisor, eligibles are given six months probationary appointment as assistant forest ranger. This appointment will become permanent at the expiration of the stated time, unless the services of the appointee have been unsatisfactory. In this case the supervisor must report the fact before the expiration of the probationary period and recommend separation from the Service.

REG. 2. Only legal residents of States or Territories in which appointments are to be made, and who are between the ages of 21 and 40, are eligible for the ranger examinations. This qualification will not be waived under any circumstances.

Applicants are examined as to fitness for positions in the State or Territory of which they are legal residents. An applicant may, however, take the examination at any place which is most convenient, even though it may not be in the State of which he is a legal resident.

The restriction as to residence is not imposed upon applicants for the forest assistant examination, for which the age limits are 20 and 40 years.

Information as to the times and places at which examinations will be held, and the steps necessary to secure admission, may be obtained only from the United States Civil Service Commission, Washington, D. C.

FOREST OFFICERS' RIGHT TO ENTER LAND.

Officers of the Forest Service are prohibited from entering, or becoming interested in, directly or indirectly, any of the public lands of the United States, with this exception: A Forest officer may exercise his right under the town-site, homestead, or desertland laws if he intends to make the claim his actual and permanent home. By so doing he may be compelled to choose between the claim and his position, should his duties make it impossible for him to comply with the residence and improvement requirements. Forest officers must not make application for the examination and listing of lands under the act of June 11, 1906, except where claim to the land was secured before the creation of the Forest, or before the applicant became a Forest officer.

INSURANCE.

To secure insurance at the lowest possible rate a mutual benefit association has been formed of employees of the Forest Service, the Geological Survey, and the Reclamation Service. This is solely to give employees health, accident, and life insurance at cost, and to prevent unnecessary burdens falling upon the associates of sick or disabled men. Information concerning membership in this association can be obtained from the supervisor.

SPECIAL STUDIES UPON NATIONAL FORESTS.

It is the active policy of the Forest Service to manage the National Forests upon a sound technical, as well as business, basis. Improvement in the standard of the technical management alone can secure steady and constant increase in returns without depleting the Forests. To this end careful investigation is essential. This includes special study of the habits and requirements of trees as a basis for the regulation of cutting of every kind. Special attention will be given to finding new uses for species at present valueless or little used, as well as for the trees already classed as commercial. Studies will be made of damage by fire and the best means of preventing it, and, in cooperation with the Bureau of Entomology and the Bureau of Plant Industry, of the prevention and control of insect. ravages and tree diseases. In these and in many other ways the basis of knowledge necessary for the best forest work will be laid.

To sum up, the National Forests will be studied with reference to their best use for every purpose. These studies will not be limited to the present applications

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