Show r. r A PUBLIC FORUM LETTERS TO THE EDITOR What Is your opinion The Express welcomes letters from Its readers concerning concerning concerning con con- any subject pertinent to the Basin S While there are no restrictions restrictions re re- as to contents or reasonable JT f i 0 10 i Predator Control Dear Sir In your September 14 1972 Issue of the Vernal Express two stories about predators occurred on the front page If I may I would like to make a few rather long comments In relation to these articles It would be appreciated if this letter Is printed in your Letters to the Editor if you have the room I agree when there is a predator problem problem lem that is proven then action is needed needed need need- ed to eliminate the guilty animals This it Is recognized Is very difficult to do but its much better than the across the board execution of the bear cougar coyote etc as it appears you advocate Also when this is done many animals classed as non predator are killed Including including In in- family dog Your statement about the run around the Federal Government now gives livestock livestock live live- stock men on predator control and that the only effective control is by use of poison and cyanide guns is noteworthy also We all know that reported livestock lasses losses by stockmen are exaggerated and proven to be in many cases plain false false- hoods For tax purposes it a great way to explain loses Very few are ever proven to be from predators The way sheep incident is an exception to the rule Most losses are from poor herding techniques and not predators In addition most livestock in the west graze on Federal lands from 60 percent to percent of the time These livestock livestock live live- stock for years have been subsidized by bythe bythe bythe the very Government you criticize The livestock owners pay grazing fees that are lower than those on private lands Also thousands of dollars are spent annually an an- by the Government for range Im im- The livestock men contribute contrib contrib- ute to range improvements also but not in proportion to the benefits they receive Remember these public lands belong to all of us and not just a few Its long past due that we and not the profit making stockmen have a say nTo To pay these stockmen for exaggerated exaggerated exaggerated losses on the owned lands where they are already being subsidized subsidized sub sub- Mr Editor is not right Dont Don't make fun of the so called ecologists and preservationists either They are fast b becoming coming the majority They are conc concerned concerned con con- c not because they want to lock lockup lockup lockup up our public lands but because they want balanced use without special interest interest in in- terest groups trying to dominate for the profit motive Mr Gurr appears to be interested mainly in helping the sto stockmen rid the world of the terrible II killers killers' In reality Mr Gurr does this for a business business busi busi- ness and if he has killed bear and cougar over the past seven years it must be a good business Also someone should ask Mr Gurr about the deals he makes with for cougar and bear removal throughout the year Upon investigation a person might find that report observed bear and cougar to him even if they are not doing damage to sheep He then brings in dudes for a fat fee to get the preda preda- tor It has been said that the herder also gets a piece of the action as he gets a few dollars for reporting the sighting from Gurr To intimate that cougar are bad on sheep because they normally kill many m more re than they eat is also in poor taste This does happen occasionally but normally normally normally nor nor- mally the lion will kill only what he eats The big cat is like a person some are good and some are bad The bad length we request quest good judgment and aid andreason reason by the writer Letters must be signed However names will be withheld withheld with with- held from publication If U requested by bythe bythe bythe the writer T 7 h e n n t School Dress Code To the People This letter Is In regard to the recently article and decision concerning concern concern- inv ing the dress code We dont don't live In Vernal during the school year but we have visited both the junior high and high school classes for a few days We live in Scottsdale and at our school we have absolutely no dress code which Is the case of all aU the surrounding Phoenix Phoenix Phoe Phoe- nix area We have to wear shoes and cannot have any indecent exposure We can wear pants of any kind shorts including hot pants also culottes mini midi and maxi dresses whatever is comfortable to the student The com com- has found this system very satisfactory satisfactory sat sat- and economical since it came Into effect four years ago It is evident that there are arc more students going to each school here but we doubt there Is any worse problems here than hi in Vernal considering the enrollment enrollment enroll enroll- ment of both places We agree agree to an extent that what you wear effects your behavior but not notto notto notto to the extreme that it effects your behavior behavior behavior be be- havior and ability while in school The faculty here also have the privilege of wearing what they wish We have had no rise in our problem since the change in our dress code If anything anything any any- thing has risen its been our academic standings These two issues seem to be bethe bethe bethe the main arg argument ment against a more lenient lenient len len- dress code And from the statements above Its proven that those issues are invalid and nd outdated Is this Ws a fashion show or is the idea t to become educated I think the second alternative is obviously the right one But this cannot be obtained until students students stu stu- stu dents stop being suspended from school because of their clothing Is it also fair fall to let some students grow their hair long and still have restrictions restrictions restrictions on on n others Isn't this what its it's all about all over the world Equality And the questions delivered from the school board to the public were little to tobe tobe tobe be desired The questions were so loaded loaded load load- ed that they could not be answered any other way than what the school board wanted That one question about wanting want want- ing their kids to be able to use alcohol tobacco and drugs in school was ous What logical parent or student for that matter would answer yes The recent change was a step in the right direction but its 1972 now weve we've been to the moon and Vernal girls still cant can't wear levis and the boys have longer hair Let Vernal catch up or at least give them a chance SINCERELY STEP STEPHNIE E AND SYD SNYDER ones kit kin and waste On the opposite side we could say that by reducing sheep and increasing deer these predator losses could be minimized This Mr Editor and Mr Gurr and Mr Stockman will come cometo cometo cometo to pass and sooner than you think if you dont don't wake up and honestly try to compromise com com- promise Signed BOB nOB ALLEN |