The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-01-17
BIG ARID LAND FIGHT
ON IN EARNEST TODAY
Special Committee Spill and Two Reports Will
Be Made.
Conservative Members Hope to Avert Further Trouble by
Dropping the Whole Question.

The bitter controversy over the Ieas-
/ ing of the arid lands viii today be
! transferred from the hotels to the floor
of the livestock convention, and last
/ evening it was freely predicted that the
! session would be most stormy Con-
sentative members still hope that furth
er trouble may be averted by dropping
the whole question for the present,
/ leaving it for some future convention
! to settle. But there are radicals on
both sides who declare that they will
force the issue upon the floor, insisting
that decisive action must be taken at
this time.
While many delegates scout the idea
of any serious rupture in the associa-
ton over this question, there are
threats of dire results from both sides.
The drift of convention sentiment
seems to be against leasing, particular
ly so since the formation of the Idaho
ChicagO-Texas combine, announced in
yesterdays Herald. This combination.
as stated yesterday, covers the land
leasing and convention city questions,
the entire vote to be thrown against
leasing and for Chicago for the next
convention. The opponents Of the lease
system were very Sanguine last night
that they would be able to kill the plan
SO dead that it would not be reslIr-
rected.
Yesterdays developments tended to
add to the complications. The special
arid land committee met for the pur-
pose of formulating and signing the
report agreed upon at the meeting on
Monday evening, but the members
could not agree, and two reports viii
therefore be presented to the cOnven-
ton. 1t is yet uncertain which will be
the majority report.
Colonel John P. Irish of California,
advocate of leasing, and ex-senator Jo-
seDh 7. Carey of Wyoming, champion
of free ranges, are billed to debate the
question for and against when the re-
ports are in.
Meeting of Committee.
The committee met in the reading
room at the Knutsford. Mr.. Gosney,
representing the opposition to leasing,
had prepared a report, in line, as he
claims, with the agreement of Monday
evening. which his fellow committee
men were expected to sign. 1t follows;
The members of he committee have
carefully considered all bills drawn
and plans proposed, and have as far
as possible Investigated the condition
of the stock ranges on the public do
AAAdaAls anu the STATE o. pubic U1liAAOtA
among the stOckmen and settlers who
would be affected by the change to the
ieasehold system, and find after such
study and investigation that the stock
men of different localities. as well as
members of this committee. have wide
~ differing convictions, both as to the
policy as a whole and as to many OF its
details.
Reports of subcommittee.
"Our subcommittee appointed in
April at the Denver meeting 10 inVes-
tigate special features Of this work,
report in substance as follows.
- The committee on "driyeways be- /
tween winter and summer ranges -
port that in the arid west. wherein
winter and summer ranges are widely 1
separated, and stock must be moved /
from the one 10 the other, the Teserva- !
lion Of neutral strips or driveways as
q part OF a lease law, is, with thei~ /
varying seasons and other conditions. /
impractical, and the attempt to en-
force any such regulations would he /