lriot ," 8.  .1 fire bun-ns over two acres and in o:- 
ti -guished  by t, e  r0nfer. 
'The effect is direct, tan'gible, and sood. 
"What -do these rndom plots indicateT  Briefly as 
fo 11 ows: 
a) hZecto are dirout and Indirect. 
"(b) 'ith t'heo o-ce,.,.,on ofofire.all ." o t "  r   1 ects

are t;pliod to our e,.encien rather' th:-n to tho -orest otelf. 
?'c) ?fleets are goodi L nd doubtfrl, the 'doubtful, 
one, beir- oc.ses whore we ca-n not oa,3ily' tell tlht the not ro- 
svlt is beneficial. 
"Let us at"emt a tabular olascifioction of ovr plots: 
plot      Good Effect            Dovbtful Effodt. 
ITo.   Direct    Indiroot      Direct   Indirect 
4 
6' 
17 
Tot tals    5         0            0         3 
"From the above, is it possible to assert that good 
effects are always direct, and that dobtful effocts are al- 
wayE i&AdirOct?  Perhaps that is on shaky ground, but we can 
at loast assort that fire -revention is the most direct of all 
our activities, and hence also susceptible of develo-ir'n the 
greatest relative efficiency. 
" further anclysis of our plots Will show that in- 
direct effects are mostlT: tnder the head of what we call ,rou- 
tine' ,a.nd further, thnt -11oct routire results from a strivin 
after vniformit.. If a ranger i--. Idho did not jave to handle 
a grazi   L.e .ccordli   to the sane prootdure as his I1e 
liexican fellow-r,rn7er, much routine would of itself be elinin- 
at0d.. Y.o mm doubts the wisdom of a. '?olic:- of aniformit-,, but 
do we always remember that uniformity is simply P noiic _oi 
Peration and not a Consorv.tiol, Pri,cile, and as such is not 
an end bu.t r. menas o-- 
"To c-6ie-back to our original question' how mn.ny of 
us, when we write a letter, telh to a permittee, a0.l for or 
ma.ko a report, rco-rme-nd c.n inm7rovement, or decido oo our 
day'-,' work--how mrmq'y of us atop to try to fi.-are out what will 
be the effect on t:e 'orost of oc.oh separate action we takeg 
Aro 1e ho m or m r'F- o UAsc in - rut?  If so, what puts us there? 
,rioii~allr, the 0.orrat*ive Polio.'" of U:,iAo Lmitv. which I D.ve

,].  mentioned.  But-hero ist" poli     :.e-?O1ic- of-6 f .i- 
forrnit,:' is meant sim'1-y to. uide our daily task  and it i,2 not. 
mea.nt to confine our minds.  And the Porest Oflicer who lso'- 
it do- so is bilying 1,4is tlonts.