ADDRESSES OF MAJOR LACEY 101 



regulations as will protect the adjacent reserves for their 

 legitimate uses. 



The writer of this article introduced bills for that pur- 

 pose in several Congresses but without success until in 

 the first session of the 59th Congress the bill received 

 the favorable action of both houses and has now become a 

 law. It is too early to say how satisfactory and success- 

 ful this new feature of the law will prove. 



Much will depend upon the care and skill used in se- 

 lecting and setting apart the areas for such homestead 

 settlement. In southern California there was some ap- 

 prehension that the law might impair the utility of the 

 reserves and increase the danger from fires and two of 

 the congressional districts of that state were excluded 

 from its operation at the instance of the representatives 

 of the districts. There are here and there in the reserves 

 beautiful, but irregular, valleys, admirably adapted to 

 use as homes for the people. Under this law the land 

 may be platted by irregular metes and bounds and thrown 

 open to homestead entry. 



These settlers will find many advantages in the use of 

 the surrounding forests. It is the wise purpose of the 

 forest reserve laws to keep these reserves for the use 

 and benefit of the people. Reasonable use for pasturage 

 is already permitted under the regulations and control 

 of the Department of Agriculture. This use should be 

 so restricted that the trees may not be injured by live 

 stock and preference should be given for a reasonable 

 number of cattle for homesteaders' use. 



Care should be exercised to avoid the introduction of 

 so large a number of residents as might impair the uses 

 for which these forests have been dedicated; but this is 

 left with the Department and a discretion is given suffi- 

 cient to prevent such injury. 



