The Meeker herald., 1900-05-05

river bottoms. who has no land contigu-
GUS to the home ranch available for pas
tura because OF lack Of water? Must
the small stock growers club together
and lease this whole tract, or would they
allow him TO lease the water holes and
springs by small leases and control the
whole tract thereby" You will observe
In the preamble and resolution OF the
committee Of the National Livestock as
sociation the reference to q sub-com-
mittee of a feature in the proposed bill
providing for common access, Of lease
holders. to water on the public domain.
The bill will aim to protect the rights
Of all now occupying the range. ~ far
as access to water is concerned. You
must bear In mind that its acceptance
is optional with the stockmen and set-
tiers. i, In nearly every case l believe
that lsaseholds can be so delimited as to
permit use of water without trespass
upon each other.
Eighth-"'fhe advocates Of the leas-
ing system lay great stress upon the
statement that the range is now occu-
pied and respective rights maintained
by force, and they profess . solicitous
desire to preserve order and prevent
conflict. Why should not both congress
and the state Legislatures enact appro-
pirate laws to govern the use and appro-
priation OF the ranges, without the re-
quirement of cash payment for its use
which the settler cannot afford, because
they are poor people who came to this
country aud settled upon public land
BECAUSE they were poorP" II 1 do not
resent, pease, don't think fail to rec
ognize the inuendo in your characterize
tion oflthe proponents Of the leasing
policy You know the lawnessness of
the fte range as we'll as 1, and the lat
ter part of the question betrays your
agreement with me that those who fight
not for its use would be benefited by
having its control. That Is to say, you
agree with me In everything except In
pkying something for something. l
dbn't think the hardy frontier settlers
IRE the paupers you call them.
n Ninth-"Whv should not the west
Vhave its just proportion Of, Of similar
appropriation to, the river and harbor
bill, for tile construction of storage res
ervoirs at the heads Of all streams in
the arid region for the reclamation Of
many millions OF acres that will other
wise be comparatively barTen2" The
onlf relevancy Of this question to the
,dbject we are considering y. that II the
'decrease Of herbage on the ranges 60 on
,at IT. present rate. the aridNxeGion will
soon be blear desert, and Its water
courses will evaporate. For an example
read the photographic history OF Spain.
Tenth-"Would not the leasing policy
effectualiv prevent any such building of
reservoirs and reclaiming OF the land
that would necessarily be covered by
lease?" No. because the bill will ex-
pressly reserve the right to institute and
apply such irrigation policy wherever 1t
may be possible. Half the revenue OF the
leases will 60 to build storage reservoirs
without waiting for the eastern farmer
to consent that his money shall be ap-
propriated to create competition with
his land, upon which the government
neither rains nor shines.
Eleventh. deny that the national
government has any legal, moral or
equitable right to lease the public lands.
Those lands belong absolutely to the
public the people-and are so granted,
the same as the unappropriated waters
Of the streams in the arid west. for the
purpose Of aiding the actual settlers.
Therefore. why should the government
seek to derive revenue from the public
grass any more than'the public watersP
Arc they not both necessary for the de-
veIopment of the western country?"
Yes, they arc both necessary and are
both being destroyed by using the pub
lie land - commons for grazing. You
have no warrant in equity, morals or
logic for your denial of the right Of the
government to preserve the grass. aud
also the water, by putting the ranges
under the care and control Of lease
holders. There il NO analogy between
land that may be taken in private own
ership and running streams which are
subject to public use or riparian con-
trol. The public. the people, have evil
dence of the willful waste Of the public
grass. BY rangers in common, who are
destroying that which belongs to the
public. The government has ample
right AID authority to prevsnt this.
Tweifth-"The western part of Colo
RADIO is constantly improving by the con-
struction OF expensive bitches and res
ervOirs. and will continue to do so for
many years to come. Wosid not the
leasing act stop this?" No. 1t will pro-
mote 1t, by conservation Of the water
supply. A lease Law will bold every
anna re foot Of soiI slbSect t<v evcpptiOn