, 1884-12-30

much oil the land is as devoid oil grass as
the streets OF New YORK, n IL the APP
preaching Winter should prove TO De a
stormy one the loss IN cattle by death VIII
be perhaps 20 to 80 per cent OF all that
Craze in the region. NOW, tnen, the
stockgrowers OF the Western PLAINS pro-
pose to ask oil Congress quanned lease
oil the lands they occupy. Inc settled
pohcy OF the Government In disposing OIL
It's ands to settlers Is to transfer IL 70
hem In small tracts The cattlemen VIII
therefore not ask Congress to sell to them
their ranges, and they do not seek any
change IN the homestead laws. Ihey
SIMPLY want to buy the grass which grows
on their ranges from year to year. and
mus be protected IN That purchase. Inc
United States Treasury would annually be
S2O,OOO,OO0 to $25,OOO,OO0 richer than 1t
IS If their proposal should be acceded to.
The belief that the cattle companies
are using this plan only as a means OF OBJ
tanning Government possession Of the
lands or IN order to exclude homesteads,
or more readily to obtain through fraudu-
lent means the title to the lands along the
streams Is, L believe, not warranted by
the facts. Ii the stockman leased ms
range IRON the Government would he
have any better facilities for fraud than at
PRESENT. With the possession OF a lease
always subject to subsequent entries by
actual settlers the stock owner would re-
celve all the protection thai he could de-
sire Inc great temptation TO endeavor
to protect himself BY securing title to
Government lands would be removed and
MS business could De saieiy prosecuted,
subject TO the gradual absorption Of the
iands D. farmers without eradlcating the
prouuction Oh stock years IN ADVANCE OF
the cuiuVation oil the land-
~LEdisLATloN ON THE SUBJECT.
Inc question OF leasing grazing lands
has been brought prominently before the
ranchmen OF the plans at this time by
proposed Legislation In Congress constr
tuning IL a penal onense 10 place any I'M
provement upon Government land with
out obtaining a ute to IL small improve
mentsTsuch as cabins Tor the protection
OF men n corrals oil an acre or Two IN
extent Tor cattle-are necessities oil the
business Fac ranchman requires a
dozen or more oil these pullalngs IN the
pursuit OIL ms oecupauon- ne cannot Cd
tam title even to these small tracts under
any existing law. Inc government Will
not sell for cash and the right to obtain
title by settlement Is limited TO TWO tracts
not exceeding lou acres eaeh 10 any one
Individual 10 make the establishment
oil such improvements as the ranchman
needs would constitute every STOCK owner
a lawbreaker perforee, and must lnevlta-
bly, result IN the speedy destruction oil the
cattle raising without substituting there
ior any equlValent means OF earning a
livelihood The plan proposed has been
carefully considered by the association l
represent a body OF which thr~ee7quartes
oil the empers are the smaller class OF
stockmen' owning from loo TO l,oVo mead
OIL catae- IL is DeheVeu mat II honestly
carried out the interests oil all would De
amply protected IL ~onteinpiate placing
IN the hands oil the secretary oil the in-
terror or some other proper omcer oil the
government the power 10 execute leases
oil tne ana grazing ana upon sueh terms
ana IN sncl manner "a DC ae'ermln-
ed aiter a iui m~Vestgauo9 VIII equally
project the rights Oh all paiues' inese
laws nave already Deen careiuiy examined
ana ciasslned by Oongresslon~ commas
SON. whole iaDors EXTENDED over SIX
months OF personal inspection on the
ground' ana WHO'S report Is on NE III tne
department. NO error an Therefore D
committed IN tne character oil 'he lahdS
sought 10 DC leased.
instead Oh special leases 10 inuiyiouais
OF corporations, II ID ueslreu Vna1 all tne
s'ock owners "ieh'h anu between cer'ain
natural Dounuaries' as lor instance
iarge rivers anu cnAihs u Mountains
snaii Decohe III = pouy 'he iesseeS Oh inc
grazing ianus "isnin speciheu nmi's' IN
proportion 70 inc amount Oh STOCK ne
owns each r@ncnman WIN contribute To-
warn 'ne payment VI 'ne Ien'Si VI 'ne Gu
'ie tract NO ienc,ns WI" NC uone' Du'
e"'n "an . eaae WIN nave equai PRIV
ieses U srA1Iie ae WIN o'er 'ne eh'ire