230 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



ested in anything that affects the prosperity of their 

 locality. Here, already organized, is an army of men 

 greater than any the Government could press into 

 service for this purpose, ready, willing, effective, and 

 to be had for the asking. The Government has only 

 to request that in return for the privilege of grazing 

 on these reserves, that the organized stock association 

 assume the task of protecting them, fostering the vege- 

 tation and preventing fire and vandalism. It is pos- 

 sible that many of them do not thoroughly understand 

 the problem the Government has undertaken to solve ; 

 then they should be enlightened, and it would be found 

 that there would be no more enthusiastic supporters 

 of the reserves than the stockmen. 



It must not be understood that I advocate the com- 

 plete turning over of these reserves to the stock 

 interests. The Government control and supervision 

 must be absolute, but the organized stockmen could be 

 sworn in as forest officers. They should have at least 

 an advisory voice in the making of the rules and regu- 

 lations and in return should be given as much freedom 

 in the use of the reserves for grazing purposes as 

 would be consistent and in keeping with the objects to 

 be attained. 



The advantage of such cooperation between the 

 government and stockmen must be evident. The 

 advantage to the Government is to enlist the active 

 assistance of men who live on the ground, as it were, 

 in the advancement of the forest reserve idea. Under 

 such an arrangement the reserves would have a better 

 protection than could possibly be obtained in any other 

 way and at the minimum cost for administration. In- 

 stead of the antagonism of a large class of citizens who 

 really have rights that the public is morally bound to 

 respect, you will have their enthusiastic support. This, 



