The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-16

1T is said that the cattlemen are COM
planning of the sheep. In the convention
which met in June in Salt Lake to discuss
this question, nearly half of the members
were composed of cattlemen, and they
were unanimous in believing that the
sheep ought to be allowed to remain in
this forest reservation. There are vastly
more sheep-growers than cattle-srowers
in Utah. Sheep-growing is the substantial
business of the state, because of its pecu-
liar conditions; it is adapted to sheep
growing and we throw away the bounties
which nature has placed in our hands
when we try to distort them TO some other
use than that for which they were in
tended.
Colonel May prophesies that the con-
tinuation of the present sheep grazing
would result in a very few years in de-
stroying the benefits tending to result TO
the people through the establishment OF
this forest reservation. For thirty years
| ii has not injured the reservation; what
reason is there to suppose that now II Is
suddenly going to end the growing of tim
Der in the forest reservation? The sheep
men of Utah would not object to a reason
able charge per head, sufficient to pay for
policing and regulating the park ana see
ing that the sheep do no damage.
Colonel May says: If grazing is per-
mitted at all. [ would recommend It's ao-
solute prohibition on the timber slopes
and the higher ranges. The stockmen say
that while they think the grazing will not
in any manner injure the timber, a police
should be established to see that they did
not go into il, and as heretofore suggest
ed. it would be paid for by the sheepmen
themselves, and may be regulated by the
department.
An Advantage to Government.
..Whatever is to the advantage to the
people of Utah, is TO the advantage of the
government. The government can have
no interest, so far as the question of this
forest reservation is concerned, except to
promote the public welfare, and it is for
that very purpose that we ask that sheep
ma ba allowed - there in the
mer of 1899, and ii is because 1t is of the
greatest benefit, and unless it be done,
great financial injury will come to the
1T is suggested that wells could be sunk
in the lowlands on the desert. 1t is inn
possible TO sink wells upon the desert for
watering the sheep, and none have ever
been established. If they were, they would
be of little advantage. as the sheep would
not eat the heritage that grows there dur
ing the summer months. that is kept IN
natures storehouse during summer for
their winter food
1T is for the utilization of that great
part of our state that we are now asking.
The advantage TO our state of Utah con-
sists more than anything else in that by
reason of the sheep industry we are able
TO make available the vast deserts COM
prising about four-ffths of the area of
our state. This has marked the region
out as one especially adapted 10 sheep
raising, and it is disadvantage 10 the
people, to the state and TO the govern
ment 10 strike down this cornerstone OF
our industries.
I'VE wish to add that in Utah there is
no conflict between sheep-owners and cat
tle-owners; in fact, in a great many cases
they are one and the same person, and the
herds of sheep and cattle feed side by side
without any difficulty or collision or in
Jury to either. The sheep, however, can go
up on higher land than the cattle can. For
that reason, if the sheep are in the tops
of mountains, it leaves greater opportu-
nifty for the cattle to range al the bottom
of th5 mountains. Excluding the sheep
from this reservation will drive them
down on lower ranges, oVerstock the land
and injure the cattle. Admitting the sheep
to the reservation will give the cattle
greater room and greater pasturage.