ADDRESSES OF MAJOR LACEY 121 



only for a term of five years and be limited to 3,200 acres 

 to any one person ; they shall not be assignable or trans- 

 ferable and shall only be made to homestead settlers or 

 actual freeholders whose lands are in the vicinity of the 

 grazing lands to be leased. Where there is not sufficient 

 land to supply the necessary amount for the various ap- 

 plicants, the same to be prorated, the annual rental to be 

 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 cents an acre, according to the grade of 

 the land, the land being classified by the Department of 

 the Interior for that purpose. The large landholder may 

 also lease land, but the maximum of 3,200 acres applies to 

 all alike. Corporations are not privileged to lease under 

 this bill. The land remains open to mineral, homestead, 

 or other lawful entry, and when entered the lease is to be 

 canceled. Streams and watering places are not to be in- 

 cluded in any of these leases, and the right of way 

 through leased lands to and from watering places is re- 

 served to other lessees. 



The bill provides that the law shall be put in force in 

 any state or territory only by proclamation at the request 

 of the state or territorial legislature. This will prevent 

 the operation of the act in such states and territories as 

 do not desire its benefits. It also provides that the net 

 receipts of the leases shall be used for irrigation works in 

 the state or territory where collected. 



From this brief statement of the scope of the bill it will 

 be seen that for a very small rental the homesteaders and 

 small landowners will be able to utilize their property by 

 obtaining grazing rights which it will be to their interest 

 to protect. The total amount of grazing lands in the 

 country will be exactly the same after these leases are 

 made as before, but the small settler, and large settler as 

 well, will thus be able, upon a limited amount of the pub- 

 lic domain, to protect the grass from improvident and de- 

 structive grazing. They will be able by shifting their 



