114 MAJOR JOHN F. LACEY 



ble of relieving the Department of the Interior of a con- 

 siderable portion of this work ; and thus the bill is in the 

 interests of economy, and would result in a reduction of 

 the force instead of necessitating its enlargement. 



There are a very few animals to which this provision 

 could be made applicable. There are today perhaps 100 

 of a certain variety of elk in the southern end of the San 

 Joaquin Valley, only one body of them in the world. The 

 proposition has been made to gather them up and put 

 them in a forest reserve. They are the only remaining 

 ones of their species. A part of the Allard herd of buf- 

 faloes would probably be put upon some one of these res- 

 ervations. Now, so far as I know, the only animals any- 

 where in the United States that can thus be transferred 

 are those two particular herds, and possibly one or two 

 other buffalo herds. There are perhaps three or four 

 small buffalo herds that could thus be transferred, and 

 the right is given here, without asking the governor 

 whether he consents to this or not, to put these little herds 

 into either one of the reservations recommended in the 

 bill. If my friend thinks that there ought to be some 

 further limitation put upon this protection, I am perfect- 

 ly willing that it shall be done. I will have no objection 

 to it, because there is no purpose such as he imagines 

 might be concealed in this section of the bill, and when we 

 come down to this particular section I shall be glad for 

 him to call attention to it, and if any amendment can be 

 made that is necessary it can be done. 



It is well that somebody should see nothing but evil in 

 appropriations. There never was a train yet that did not 

 have a brake on it. There must be a brake, but you can 

 not run the train with a brake alone — not successfully. 

 While I commend my friend generally, here in this case 

 he is exercising his judgment without giving attention to 

 the real purpose of the bill. From his committee have 



