Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1881-01-29
THE HERD LAW.

Representative Hale has introduced a
bill in the lower house, at Yankton, to
exempt the counties of Lawrence, Penn
ington, Custer. Mandan and Forsythe,
from the provisions Of the herd law. 1t
will be seen by this that the friends ofthe
measure are not letting the grass grow
under their feet. Mr.. Hale, personally,
is strongly in favor of its passage, as his
business of a stock man renders him SO.
The other members are quite likely to be
largely Influenced in their views by him
and by the stock men generally, as they
are usually men of means and intclli-
gence, who have far better opportunities
Of promulgatipg their views and senti-
ments than does the small farmer. 1t
will therefore be seen that ifthe farmers
desire to see the bill killed they must be
up and doing; there is not a moment to
loose. In fact in our own estimation,
We look upon the ultimate passage and
approval of the bill as almost certain.
There has been but little active opposi-
ton to the proposed change i'm the laws.
The farmers have been content to let
the matter 60 with a sort of passive
inert opposition, whose influence is
easily set aside by active workers. The
plain facts are indisputable, that if the
farmers arc compelled Ia fence their
farms, it will cost a sum that will aston
ish any n who attempts to make an
estimate. 1t is claimed that there was
cultivated this last fall 10000 acres of
ground. 1t is safe to conclude that this
$4,000 does not represent one quarter of
the land claimed by the men who cul-
tivated this amount. But the whole of
it will have to be fenced, AZ the loose
stock must not only be kept off from the
growing crops, but from the hay land as
we'll. Estimating each farm ut $50 acres,
and there would be at least 3l5 farmers.
There are probably more than 400 and
the cost of fencing, each one ut $4,000,
which il no doubt much less than it
could be done or, and the expense To be
immediately incurred in ease the herd
law is repealed, would be S94 800. This
il must be remembered is not a sum,
which, when once expended, would
settle the matter. Ii would have to he
incurred as often rs nee in three years.
The pine lumber and pine posts, of which
the fences would have to be built, would
rot out very rapidly. One hundred dol
lars q year direct tax on each and every
farm, is what II repeal of the herd law
means, and our legislature, we think,
should carefully weigh the pros and
cons before they force such a measure
upon the people. The Deadwood Pio-
neer in its issue of the 2lst inst. suggests
a sort of compromise between the two
interests, the farmers and the cattle
men, it says:
"As there are two sides to every qIes-
ton, so there are W very strong ones
relative to the necessity of a stringent
herd law. The Pioneer is not prepared
to say that one should or should not be
enforced the year around, but is recog-
nizes the fact that an impending conflict
threatens tWe very important and rapid
~ growing neutrality-suspicious. and
stock raising-and calls for the attcn-
ton Of the legislature, which, we are
sure, can devise some means for the pro-
lection of both interests without impOs-
ing a hardship upon either. 1t is es-
timated that there are at least 100000
head Of cattle within a radius Of one
hundred miles, and that large additions
will be made to every herd, and new
herds brought in this year. 1t is also
esti,nat ed that upwards Of $4,000 acres
of land were cultivated last season. and
that the acreage will be doubled this
year. 1t is utterly impossible for farm
ers to fence their ground, and it would
be unreasonable to expect them to main
tain Il guard to prevent the roaming of
cattle belonging to others, and the des-
truction of crops. Such in brief is the
situation that appeals for legislation apd
suggests to us the proprietv of maintain
ing a herd law during the. growing and
harvesting months. Such would entail
but little labor and slight expense upon
stockmen and would save, possibly,
thousands of dollars to the grain grow
crs.
la .egisaa,sng upon this. matter, great.
care should he exercised i'm not discrim-
mating for or against either industry.
Both are valuable to the country, and
each ran thrive without detriment to
the other.