102 MAJOR JOHN F. LACEY 



The preservation of the forests from fires, the preven- 

 tion of erosion of the mountain by floods, the maintenance 

 of the natural springs and the conservation of the snows, 

 are the primary purposes of these reservations and the 

 introduction of homestead settlers should be limited to 

 those tracts which are suitable for agriculture. 



Because of the eager demand for homes it seemed un- 

 just to withhold these tracts of tillable land from the use 

 of the farmers and cattle growers. 



The best legislation arises from evolution along well 

 defined lines, with modifications to meet conditions as 

 time develops or brings them to attention, and this step 

 in the progress of intelligent forestry is a wise and bene- 

 ficial one. Many a happy home will be established in the 

 people's great forests. 



In the Black Hills a considerable number of settlers 

 had already taken land under the placer mining law and 

 carved out for themselves irregular claims of the form 

 contemplated in this new homestead law. Whilst the 

 land was mineral the values were so low that the claims 

 were more useful for agriculture than for mining pur- 

 poses, and the settlers have been raising crops and pas- 

 turing their herds in these mountains. 



The Black Hills settlers can be readily provided for 

 under this new law and will be given an immediate object 

 lesson for use in opening up similar tracts in other re- 

 serves. The forest reserves have come late into our na- 

 tional life but they have come in time to do incalculable 

 good and they have come to stay. 



This modification of the law is not a hurried experi- 

 ment but is the fruit of long consideration and deliberate 

 action by Congress and I confidently predict that it will 

 become a permanent feature of the established policy of 

 saving the forests for the common weal. 



