Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-01-26
THE STOCK INDUSTRY.
THE SPEAKERS DISCUSS LIVE TOPICS.


Denver. Col, Jan. 2s.-Chairman
springer called the National Stock
Growers convention to order at 10
o'clock this morning. There was a full
attendance of delegates.
committee was chosen of one from
each state represented, to draft legis-
lation and bylaws. Those on the com
mittee: Texas. w. Mckenzie; Kansas.
j. w. Johnson; Idaho, j. ID. Wood:
oregon, X. C. Judson; Utah, Jesse NJ
smith; Missouri, j, II. Nefr: Nebraska,
"A. Nj. Saughtery; Michigan, IL. II.
Kinds; South Dakota, +. A. Stewart:
Montana, Paul Mccormack; wyom-
ing w. C. Irving: Iowa. Henry wal
lace; Illinois, C. w. Baker. Arizona,
w. c. Barnes; Indiana, NJ. Il. Harley;
minnesota, George NJ. d. Flower. Col
orado, Il. NJ. Ammons.
inc trst address was on statistics
as to value OF I've stock and prospec-
tive conditions by j. f. Ncff. editor
Of the Drovers Telegram, Kansas City
The speaker reviewed the history of
the stock growers business for the past
hitcen years, showing that the indus
Try, which was ON the down grade for
"a number OF years, reached bottom Il
couple of years ago and has since been
Improving. Figures are given to show
tfat prices are now more than 200 peg
cent above the lowest point of few
years ago. He expressed the fear that
stocking and feeding cattle are now
bringing more money than they will
bring in the market when fattened.
What is true of cattle, he asserted, is
also true Of sheep, horses and hogs.
ha Ind ,zf \,
that of mining, he said If the silver
men had Teller, Jones aud Stewart at
Washington, the stock grower had
Dingley, Grosvenor and Mckinley. He
spoke optimistically upon the probable
effect of the Dingley bill. especially
on the sheep industry. He closed with
a prediction of prosperity for the
future.
Governor r. a. Richards of Wyom-
ing next spoke on THE cession OF the
arid public lands to the states"
Governor Richards took the position
that not only the arid lands but all the
public lands should be given to the
states. They would then, he claimed
soon be made to help pay government
cyl enses and sooner be put in the
hands of actual settlers. Speaking of
the arid lands, he said:
II have come to the conclusion that
there is only one way for us to work
the transfer of the lands to the several
states and then make 1t a matter OF
patriotism or state pride to make the
most possible of the donation. The only
objection which ever has been urged
Is not based on facts but on belief that
the states themselves are not to be
trusted Those who assume this position
also assume that the administration of
the national land office is efficient and
satisfactory. l believe they are as
much mistaken in their belief regard
ing the first as they are erroneous con-
corning the facts Of the second. The
truth Is that the administration Of the
general land office in the disposal of
arid lands and in its neglect to do any
thing for the conservation of the water
has been an unmitigated failure. Two
bills for the cession of the lands have
been introduced in the present Con-
gress. one by Congressman Shafroth
of Colorado and one by Congressman
Hartman of Montana The present
commissioner OF the general land office
opposed both these bills and If his re-
ports are any indication will oppose
any measure providing for the trans
fer of these lands to the states"
Gov. Richards said the money re-
ceived from the sale OF public lands
had been very largely used in states
other than those in which the lands
were situated TO the advantage of the
older at the expense of the younger
states.
Continuing he said:
every arid state ought to control its
timber lands. The states now control
the streams which rise therein; they
ought to he given the opportunity to
protect and preserve the fountains
which feed these streams. II we are to
Judge the future by the past, the con-
tinued control of the timber lands by
the general government means the
continuation of their spoliation and
destruction. Every reserve thus far
made has simply resulted in stopping
mining, preventing the construction of
roads, the building of reservoirs or
ditch I, In laying an embargo on all
development and in doing nothing
whatever to protect the forests from
fire, the chief agent of their destruc-
ton.
III Il is the desire of the arid states
to secure a class of settlers who will
engage in agriculture, 1t is necessary
that state aid in some form should be
afforded them. Reservoirs should be
constructed and maintained by the
state and the waters distributed under
state supervisors
THAT the leasing OF these lands would
follow the cession of the public lands
to the state the recent experience OF
Wyoming has demonstrated In salts
faction of the donations of land to the
state upon its admission to the Union,
grazing lands have been principally
selected. Every acre has been leased
at an annual rental OF Ave cents per
acre.
Elwood Mead, state engineer Of Wyo-
ming. spoke on "IIow best to prevent
olashlng between sheep and cattlemen
on the ranges" He favored leasing of
all public lands and breaking up of
ranges as means Of preventing con-
slant warfare between cattlemen and
sheepmen.
II. NJ. Allen, Of Ames, Neb, delivered
an address on 1.-THE fattened steer"