The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-16
The Grazing Bill.

The announcement Is made that
meeting OF the cattlemen OF California,
Washington. Oregon, Montana, Utah,
Nevada and Arizona VIII be held in San
Francisco on March 8 for the purpose
OF taking steps to secure the passage
% he Foster bin, now pending before
congress. simultaneously with the pub
lication OF this notice 1t is reported from
Elensburg that the farmers and stock
men OF the Kittitas valley are express
ing pronounced opposition to the bill,
and that n protest against Its passage
has received the signatures OF practi-
eaily all the people in that stock raising
country. The bill provides for the de-
iimta ton and leasing of the grazing
lands ON the public domain to stockmen
for terms of ten years. with the right
of their use The lands are to be d.
vided into ranges as small as possible,
yet amply large for grazing purposes.
The department of agriculture is TO fix
the rental at not less than l cent per
acre. one-haif OF the proceeds TO so into
the treasury of the state wherein the
lands are situated: the other half 20
be turned into the United States treas
ury.
Those who favor the bill maintain
that IL is urgently needed as means
of preserving from utter destruction the
grazing lands that are now left open
TO public use Increase of population
I'm the West and the taking up of large
pasture areas for purposes Of cultivs-
ton have greatly reduced the grazing
tracts. which are now oyerrun with
docks and herds, The result Is thar
they are cropped closer each succeed
Ing year. and In a short time will be
Unit for pasturage In order to save
them from a ruin which is Inevitable.
the government must withdraw the
lands from occupation. which everyone
would object to; they must be sold out
right, which would result in their fall
ting into the possession Of the cattle and
sheep kings. or they must be leased in
accordance with some regulations such
a. those provided by the Foster bill
Some reasons why the bill is opposed
were recently set forth in the r.llens-
burg Capital In a series Of interviews
with men more or less prominent in Kit
titas county q, s Weed saws that THE
corporations win get hold of all the de-
sirable land. fencing creeks ana springs.
thus making the adjoining land worth
less 20 others, thereby shutting cut the
man Of moderate means and the small
yAnoher. who keeps few cattle and
sheep TO help make his living. The
poor man may be able to pas his cent
an acre. but what about fencing hts
leased possessions Tie could doubtless
pay the lease price on $40 acres--a
square mile-which would De So. 30. but
fencing such tract will cost him hun
dreis OF dollars. while with the cor
parations or heavy stock-owners that
cost would be trjae. particularly when
they could control the water for miles
in all directions, Phe bin is unjust TO
the poor man. and that Is reason enough
why IL SHOULD not become law"
George II. Cook. one Of the largest
cat,lenen in Central Washington. says;
II am opposed 10 the bin: It Is unjust.
and II Il becomes n law II will be a
hard blow TO our people 1t throws ev-
erythIng into the hands Of corporations
or wealthy men. and the small stock
man has no chance whatever. The lat