The San Francisco call., 1899-11-21
THE LEASE OF GRAZING LANDS

He results OF the water storage convention in
tins city have fairly combined the two ques-
tons o. leasing the grazing land OF the public
domain and storage OF flood waters.
For the good of both II is necessary that the eas-
ing policy should Immediately succeed, and to that
end all Western interests should at once combine.
The Commissioner OF the General Land Office and
the Secretaries of the Interior and OF Agriculture are
joined in urging that policy upon Congress. and in
slant advantage should be taken OF this conjunction
o forces. which may not soon occur again. In order
10 succeed, with this strong official backing the
policy must be cleared OF all reasonable objections
that may be brought against il. No loophole should
be le' in the law by which the present Eastern com
bine in control of slaughtered meats may be able TO
secure leasehod control OF all the grazing lands.
Tor then It viii have the consumer entirely at lis
mercy in these days OF large combinations OF capital
no soroey is needed TO bring all the pastures and all
the abattoirs o the country under the same control
The way 20 avoid IT, indeed, the way to avoid the
prospect that may be done and in that prospect de-
feat the leasing policy in Congress- is by providing
On the bill submitted Tor enactment absolute safe
guards against such a contingency These will be
found in limiting the amount OF land that may be
leased 20 one individual or one corporation and safe
guarding the leases against subletting and against
combination between leaseholders. There may be
established unit OF area, say OF twenty sections 10
one individual one corporation or one partnership
his unit viii find few cattle-owners already using
tins domain with more stock than il will feed The
element Of feasibility TO accommodate such situa-
ton and protect such owners against what would
really be forced sale and therefore sacrifice OF
their stock may be found in providing that in such
cases the brand book and other evidences OF the
number Of the herd shall be taken and the unit
be extended by the Secretary OF the Interior We put
the unit at twenty sections merely for illustration 1t
may be found necessary 20 enlarge reduce it. but
unit should be fixed subject only to modification
in the cases suggested The West requires restora-
lion OF these ranges but also needs that such res
toTaton shall imply also an increase Of population
In other respects these leases should provide certain
official oversight. The bunch and gramma grasses
are ANNALS. They the most valuable forage Of
the ranges Their valuable property is that they be-
come hay standing the ground and a very nutri-
uous dry food When they are consumed green they
drop seed for the next years crop. II permitted
10 dry their seed is rpened and in browsing the stock
thrashes out the seed tramps into the ground and
II terminates the next annual crop The ranges have
been overstocked- The need OF the stock for food
has compelled il TO gnaw the green grass TO the
roots, seed has ripened and the ranges have be
come barren. By this process too the ranges have
become increasingly arid. The former abundant
clothing OF herbage conserved the rainfall from i'm,
mediate evaporation, il went into the ground and
served as solvent for plant food thereby increasing
every year the annual crop OF these rich grasses
Nature worked through the agency OF the herds Of
buffaoes the Rocky Mountain ranges to preserve
these grasses The herds passed northward on their
annual migration grazing hastily as they passed and
leaving untouched grass TO seed for the next cron
On their return southwark the grasses were drv the
seed ripe and in grazing the hay they sowed the seed
and trampled il in. In this way, with no limit 70
their increase except the Indian demand uDon them
Tor their meat and hides the buifaoes ALWAYS had
abundant food, and when they were exterininated
they lett the ranges rich in grasses 10 be the means
OF that meteoric rise in the range cattle business
which made Wyoming the greatest stock region in
the Union But the Wyoming cattlemen like their
kind everywhere, made study OF the means Of
keeping their ranges fertile and they are prac
iically barren
II will be seen that the Government must enforce
sufficient respect for the laws OF nature the part
OF leasehoders TO undo the mischief already wrought
by ignorance and greed