The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-07-05
LUSK DISCUSSES
LAND LEASING
Strong Views of Cattle Grow
erS' Association Nan.
HOSTILE TO SHEEPMEN
EXPLAINS WHY he BELIEVES
CONGRESS SHOULD ACT.

F. c. Lusk of Chico. cal, who is pres
fdent Of the American Cattle Growers as
ISOLATION. gave an interesting interview
the other day to the Portland Oregonian
in which he set forth the purposes Of the
organiza ton. Said he:
The association is d new one. 1t was
temporarily organized by leading cattle
men from the states and territories ives.
OF the AIississippi, at Salt Lake, last
winter, and its finag organization was
perfected at its first annuaI convention,
held in Denver in March. That city mas
selected as Its permanent he2dqJartsrs.
because II Is regarded as Jhe practical
center OF the C3tJIe business o. cne 5teaC
west. 1t is purely cattle gro Ners as
sOCIatiOn. and loaned 10 advance svery
interest OF this 6reat and pioneer indus
try. No other kinds of stockmen aT6 adj
mltted. 1t Is an ASSOCIATION OF ludlVid-
e's-i 80 gu - - 5tftt-- - -
cations In Its deliberations the owner
or small band or cattle has the same
voice and vote as the owner OF 900. 1t
started with large membership and y
receiving numerous daily acCeSsi0ns- 1t
now includes practically all OF he rep
resentatlVe cattle growers west OF the
Missouri, and hosts OF small SrOWerS.
The membership and attendance at its
conventions OF the latter class IS espeCIaI>
~ desired. Its convention at Denver lass
March by nearly unanimous vote
passed q strong resolution in favor OF
leasing the public range lands, and d
committee was ordered 10 draw 4 Dill to
be presented on behalf OF the association
in both houses Of the next congress. The
bill IS now in process OF construction,
and viii re given TO the public as soon
as completed
Favors Land-leasing.
Mr.. Lusk is a strong advocate of land
leasing, and, known 70 be such, was
elected president of the association at
Denver. In response TO questions as to
the condition OF public opinion on the
proposed measure, the reasons in favor
OF the law ana the probable I-atures of
the proposed bill, he said.
Public opinion is Largely formed by
those directly Interested In the conven-
ton at fort NOFthI IN January lSJL Of
the National Livestock association, a
body composed OF the owners of all KINDS
of stock, sheep pTedominating, d TesOlu-
ton favOring ldnd-leasing was passed.
A bill providing for it was introduced In
congress that winter, and the subject at
once became a general Theme of discus
sion. Public opinion in the arid land
states mostly affected appeared adverse.
This was caused by the owners Of the
innumerable bands of migratory sheep.
who naturally oppose IT, and by the small
cattlemen, who. not understanding the
proposed measure, reared chat they would
be frozen out by the large cattle OF
sheepmen mOnopoliziug the leases But
in the past year and a half events nave
followed so rapidly on the ranses, and
the facts became known. that public
opinion has changed with great rapidity
on the subject In Colorado. tor instance,
the change is almost absolute The
cause OF THIS change VIII be perceived
by the answer to the questions you ask
as TO the reasons for the law, and
general knowledge of its proposed fea-
lures
Growing OF cattle on the ranges Of
the arid states is the pioneer industry.
commenced and brought u a high state
of perfection many years before sheep
were there at ali. Most of the older cat
tlemen fought the Indians in starting
their plant me company represent
IN Harvey county, IN this state, lost ali
OF its buildings, much OF its stock, ana
the lives OF some Of its employees in the
Indian outbreak in 1878 There is no
such thing as migra tory Cattlemen The
nature or the business prohibits IL. They
must have q fixed habitatiOn7 ranch, a
land plant, with fences, buildings, hay
IleioS ana means TO protect and care Tor
the cattle in winter. These have been
the growth OF thirty years or more, and
vary all the way from the ranch worth
on every dollar OF which and all tneir
cattle, full taxes are paid TO the local
countess migratory bands of sheep, a
majority IN the hands of BasOuks and
Portuguese. VINO are not citizens, and
pay no taxes 10 the local county and
have no ranch or landed head quarters
anywhere. swarm all over their ranges,
up to their fence lines, and not only drive
and run their cattle out, out are also at
terly destroying for all lime the feed on
the range
TO Illustrate. our company pays INTO
the treasury OF Harvey county very
large sum annually Tor its and jhe sra-e's
benefit. Yet hundreds OF thousands of
migratory sheep pour into that county IN
the summer from Idaho, Nevada and
elsewhere, and utterly devasJate the
range and retire in the late fall. without
contributing one dollar 20 the county TAX
fund: but, on the contrary. lessen IL:
tax roll by cutting in two the amount Oi
cattle and sheep its residents could carry
and pay taxes on If the migratory sheep
bands We're kept out, although that Coun-
ty has ample range and feed for all the
stock il could own and winter. In these
cases 1t is not a free range. because the
cattle will not Craze where sheen are
and the herCer with MS dog readily dr. We
them off if they attempt-it- The stats
tics furnished by the agricultural depart
ment show just what such state Of af-
fairs leads one to eXpeCt-that the cattle
are rapidly decreasing in the transmits
souri, states and te RI, Dries. For instance
in Wyoming in the last ten years over
30 per cent; in other localities IS per
cent. and in some places even more
hence the price of beef is constantly adj
vancing and has now reached a point in
/ the eastern cities that makes is q luxury
to the common people.