224 Proceedings of the 



and guide such people into the correct lines of thought 

 and action. I fully realize such men are not plentiful, 

 but they exist and must be had, and when found, and 

 by experience educated, should be retained. They in 

 turn must be guided by a more wise and inspiring 

 administration at Washington. Give the home-build- 

 ers in and about these forest reserves an administration 

 in which they have full confidence, one whose officers 

 do not get out of humor and write petulant and un- 

 called for letters and orders before they thoroughly 

 understand the facts; an administration which always 

 consults the people as to the people's needs and fully 

 advises them as to the supposed needs of the forest 

 and the objects of any and all restrictions. When this 

 confidence is established and a few unruly and disturb- 

 ing elements are judiciously amputated from the body 

 of stock grazers you will have among stockmen and 

 home-builders a class of forest protectors worth more 

 to the service and to forestry than all the rangers the 

 government can employ, a class of men you cannot 

 hire. 



Perhaps the most dangerous element the people are 

 facing to-day on the grazing question, whether in the 

 forest reserves or on the public domain outside, is the 

 land and stock monopolies. I speak of these with 

 hesitancy, knowing that my position will be misunder- 

 stood and misconstrued by many. Among these large 

 stock and land companies are some of the ablest and 

 best men of the country ; many of them are my friends ; 

 most of them are employed on tempting salaries to 

 look after the interests of these large companies; em- 

 ployed because of their splendid abilities, their char- 

 acter, and influence ; and, like faithful advocates, they 

 are doing their duty most admirably. The time was 

 when there was little or no conflict between these 



