Show SENSIBLE ARGUMENTS AGAINST NEW NATIONAL GRAZING POLICY washington MAN ADVANCES SOUND THEORY AGAINST FURTHER LEASING privileges by jeremiah collins in public land bulletin washington D C holding to the opinion the grazing areas of the public domain should be free and open to all and not tied up in perpetual leases I 1 ani constrained to offer modest comment on the new national grazing policy now put forward by the interior department from the beginning the public domain has been open to all comers the man with a herd of cattle or band of sheep moved in as fast as military posts were established on the frontier and some protection from hostile indians afforded the smiling valley attracted the pioneer of lesser means the ancient miracle of the irrigating ditch was repeated and in a restricted way agriculture developed in the region of limited rainfall last in order came the dry farmer who despite manifold discouragements discourage ments has played an important part in the drama of western development always and under each advancing step the and unreserved public lands were free and unrestricted to settlers and to owners of herds and flocks whether numbered by hundreds or thousands or even if only a few domestic animals this is the situation today and I 1 cannot believe there are many who want it changed the exception would probably be those livestock concerns that would hope to prosper by excle sive control of range areas last year it was the stanfield leasing bill which has with general satisfaction fallen by the wayside it was presented congress with 2 important public land states wyoming and washington excepted from its operations the senators and representatives presenta tives from these states would have none of it and to avoid their opposition the states were eliminated senator stanfield the father of this measure will not be in next congress to urge its acceptance no great difference the plan to regulate range and grazing on the public domain now put forward by the interior department is different from the stanfield measure in a few particulars it contemplates the establishment of grazing districts to be leased by the government for long periods with encouragement and possibly govern ment aid for drilling wells to provide stock water these districts may be large or small according to the situation and will be under the control of the interior department the machinery for this control will be set up in washington and a new retinue of inspectors and deputy in specters will be abroad in the land it may be assumed these long term lease holds will be fenced and such as are extensive in area will conati tute exclusive principalities where the lord of the lease will have supreme savay after the manner of th barons of fredal days if the barbed wire entanglements entangle ments will not keep ou the stock of the unfortunates not favored with leases we may see cow boys and shepherdess ders on sentry duty and armed to the extent necessary to repel invasion by man or beast of the sacred realm of the lease certainly these franchises covering long periods of time will grow in value the unearned increment will be an item they will be subject to barter and sale or may pass by inheritance from generation to gene aaion it is possible that now and then a nice fat lease will be handed vat as a political favor undoubtedly the new national gram policy will prove a nice thing for those who acquire the leases especially if the government finances the well drilling on a sufficient scale but how about the man of small herds or flocks who is not thus favored how about the many who are in the business in a small way and those who may want to start afresh in that line as well as the homesteaders and settlers alio arc undergoing the hardships of establishing and maintaining homes in western states where the plan would be operative overwhelming disadvantages how about the check such a leasing policy would put on the growth and of the west who knows what the next 10 or 20 or au years may bring forth in western areas now classified as strictly grazing the writer has had illustrative experience he took up his abode in northern montana nearly 50 years ago this was then an im mense undeveloped region into which herds and frocks were being driven there were a few small ranches in the valleys where plow furrow ditches brought out a little water for irrigation the stockmen stoc kmen got most of their hay in the coultes coulees af the uplands it was considered a stock country pure and simple and only a few indeed dreamed it would ever bo anything else today that portion of the state produces many millions of bushels of wheat and all other manner of crops in proportion besides livestock in perhaps greater value than in the old range days if a leasing system such as is now proposed had been inaugurated at that time it is probable the cattle and sheep kings would still be in supreme control and development along other lines at a low level in parts of arizona new mexico nevada and california there are desert wastes and a fw wells will not give them grazing ral ue they may be jn some part ren dered immensely productive by K gantic irrigation projects such tas that proposed by tha utilization of arthe waters oft the at irrigation and power coolidge dam in arizona a con tract for was the interior De a few days a will in time make a good slice 0 desert blossom as the rose these are projects upon which the govern ment may expend some of its sur plus with the assurance it is building for the future and not for the tern horary advantage of a few concerns clamorous for perpetual leases which have buying and selling rights forest service they even want their hold in the national forests to be of the same character but it is refreshing to noti the forest service stands out against the plan which would work to the detriment of the smaller outfits 1 is bad enough to have acres of treeless land in the national forests without making same the basis of a leasing system that would favor a few at the expense of small owners and others alio may later en gage in the stock business either in a limited or large way these should have equal privilege of forest rang according to location and other pro controlling circumstances the secretary of the interior has doubtless given careful consideration to the new grazing bohy and is satisfied he has found the key to th problem perhaps the official announcement no was made with the view of drawing comment if so I 1 have had my say and here it is wished to sit down my conviction that the representatives in congress from the western states affected by such a measure will be found in large part lined up against it |