Show TiE ESTRAY LAW A Farmer Blake Sonic Remarks on the Subject To the Editor of The Herald Your article on the estray law that lately passed through the House and is now before the Council will be endorsed en-dorsed by all fairminded men I was in the House when the bill passed and conversed with several of the members mem-bers who no doubt call me a crank But I wish to ask them a cranky question ques-tion on which I have not been able to get a fair statement as yet Are not sheep cattle and horses running at large on or around our land nuisances On the truth or falsity of this proposition proposi-tion rests the whole question now before be-fore the Legislature and It would be a relief to have the gentlemen come forward and enlighten us on i There are those who have admitted that the proposition is logical and others who have not but none of the latter have given me any reasons for this negative gven negatve that they would be willing to have ap pear over their signatures What is being fought for by the formers for-mers is justice and justice only We want the cattle and horses when they come down from the mountains in the spring to be taken care of so they will not do damage to the crops of the wi mer I the bill as passed should be all that stood between the farmer and the stockmen the latter would con sider as they do now that not only the government lands but the farms as well are lawful ranges for their stock The farmercan never get sat isfaction for the bother to which he is put And then they talk about this being a compromise be tween the farmers and stockmen This talk of compromise anyway is talk of injustice that ought to be beneath the dignity of a Legislature I is as tonishing to see the levity displayed by these learned gentlemen while dis cussing a question that has such an importaht bearing on the lives and property of those who elected them to deal justly between their fellowmen felowen without inglorious comnrnmiso r a I sons opposed the amendment Imagine giving such a reply as he gave to Pow er on such an impgrtant matter Why were not the farmers given an opportunity to be heard fully on this subject I was given ten minutes by the committee and explained as best I could in that time But I could not give the many outrageous instances when farmers have been injured and have had no redress except by going to law and have refrained from expending ex-pending a great deal of money This bill is wholly In the interest of the stockmen Under it bankruptcy will stare the farmers in the face The stockmen allege that a more stringent measure would result in the killing of their industry but I ask them to tell how stock is raised in the east where there J3 no free government land JOHN DONE |