The Dickinson press., 1901-08-17

Australia ana Texsasisswssiitthh siasttiissfacctiosni {
every one. Texas owns all To public
lands. Both jurisdictions found them
selves confroned with the same difficulty
we are now 10, and adopted the only
remedy wise lease Law. In each place
the stock business is now on 4 perma-
nent basis. Each stockman knows how
many sheep or cattle he can carry with
out injuring his lease.hold. Nothing
could induce either Texas or Australia
TO abrogate its lease laws and throwopen
its ranges to the old condition Of over
stocking, consequent destruction, and
continual battle and violation OF law.
"The law will be for all. sheepmen Sas
we'll as cattlemen. Many sheepmen
favor it, and are just as anxious for its
passage as cattlemcn. This is especially
SO of the Ssheepmen who have a fixed
habitation, a ranch where they cut hay
and care for sheep in winter. l am in.
receipt or daily communication from
such men, who tell me that while they
know they cannot join the American Cat
tle-Growers' Association, theytavor such
a law and want to aid in its passage in
every manner possible. The whole stu
alton was adequately summed up a
few weeks ago by one Of the most prom
inent sheepmen in Wyoming. who said
that he realized that the time had now
come that every one who owned sheep
or cattle on the public range must have
the ability to control a definite portion Of
it by lease.
"a vital feature of the new law will be
protection by preference right to lease
to actual residents and owners in a
county, this is to cut off all possibility OF
foreign syndicates coming into a county
and renting the land away from the local
resident stockmen. The bill will be
fully safeguarded against any such star
routing. Another equally important
feature will be the prohibition against
leases being put up at auction. Many
small stockmen have been justly and
naturally frightened by the suggestion
that the leases would be put up o the
highest bidder. and wealthy corporations
thus secure them ali. The auction fea-
ture that the proposed law will contain
will be a provision adequately protecting
the small stockowner, and assuring his
right to a full proportionate share Of the
ranges in his respective county. This
must and will be plain and emphatic.
No bill will ever pass the congress of the
United States that does not contain the
three principal features above named in
unequivocal language. 1t is thought by
those best informed on the subject that
when a bill is framed fully protectingth the
small stoekmen as against his larger
neighbor, giving the preference to the ac-
tual stockgrower in each county, and pro-
hibiting any auction of leases, and it is
generally circulated, that alloppositionto
the measure will vanish from the stock
counties, except from the owners Of mi
gratory sheep bands.
at is wisely proposed that the bill shall
require the Federal Governmental donate
to each state the rentals received. in it to
be used for works to promote irrigation
by storage Of food waters. This question
is one Of supreme importance to every
state having arid lands. Careful esti-
mates place the amount to be thus yearly
usedats1o,ooo,ooo. It will be remembered
that at the last session the great river and
harbor bill, carrying an appropriation Of
s63,ooo,ooo, was defeated by an arid land
state senator because the east would not
consent to include a paltry 100000, for
promoting irrigation in the arid states.
With such a bill as we propose. the east
will be relieved from that burden, ample
sums for this great work will be provided,
and hand in hand will gothic preservation
and improvement Of the ranges, with the
storage of the flood waters for constantly
increasing irrigation"