Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1901-09-19

nov III vogue y! Ee444HE mlEed shOGfy ana 60
4 ton as all heece wooleu goods and asking Con
] gress 70 psss q lsw requiring sll Manufacture
Of goods ia which wool forms com ponei
part To brand thea honestly AZ 70 the comp,
sitlon Of such Rood. such brand 10 remain o
all goods nuul finally d.sposed Of over the =
tailer's counter.
Alta low estimate, IL costs about three time
as much u produce d pound Of wool now I
Eastern Oregon as It did twenty years sgt
And this year you received about half a. muc
per pound a. you dld then. he cost Of pre-
ducing wool each year is increasing and vii
increase for some time 10 come The time I
now here when you must at least own a larg
part Of your summer range or lease It from tn
government. This brings me 10 the question 0
the government leasing the public domain
upon which much ID being written from botl
points OF view. committee has been sp
pointed by the president Of the National Cattl,
Growers Association to draft bill having tn,
leasing OF the public lands in view, 10 be pre-
sented TO Congress at the coming session, and
great pressure will be brought TO bear upon tn.
members 70 secure its passage At one time
was inclined TO favor the lease system, believ
ing 1t 70 be to the best interest of the stock
grower. but after studying 1t in all its phases
have concluded the following will be the re-
suit Of such & change
Fnt-The concentration Of all the grazing
land in the hands Of a comparatively few
Second-The forcing Of very large portion 0.
the stock growers out of the business and com
! pelling them 10 cell their stock at whatever the
more fortunate ones are inclined TO give them.
Third-Preyenting others not now in the bus
iness from ever taking up the industry OF stock
growing to any considerable extent; and
! Fourth-Practibally annulling the home
stead law. This last contention is denied by
Mr.. Lusk, president OF the National Cattle
| Growers Association, but the past history Of
! the cattle kings and the large corporations
! throughout Oregon and California does not
| bear him out in his statement 1t is q notori-
Gus and well-known fact that through force and
/ intimidation the large live stock syndicates
| have prevented American citizens from settling
| upon government land, OF which they have
large tracts enclosed contrary TO Law. II they
| could do this in the past in defiance of all law,
| you can see how much more easily they can ac-
| complish the same under the lease system II
they allowed wouid.be settler to file on 4
| homestead al all, they would confue him
strictly TO the land filed on, leo acres at most
which Tor stock ranching would be practically
vaiueless and more, il would be the fixed
policy OF every man that leased public land to
discourage ali attempts at settlement on such
leased lands in every way possible.
But says Mr. Lusk 1.-The bill will propose
tina, the rents derived from such lease be used
in building irrigation and storage works for tho
| express purpose Of making land that is now
arid and subject to homestead entry agricul.
tural land, which would be open to the actusl
settler"
This clause in the proposed bill should be
viewed with grave suspicion. If these large in.
diyidual and corporate stock owners do not
now own large portion OF the arid lands sub
ject to irrigation, they are in position TO close
in on it just al soon IS the bill becomes law,
thus not only controlling the government
range, but having the rentals utilized to in
crease the value Of their private holdings. In
my Judgment there is an abundance Of private
capital anxious TO be invested where it is as.
sured OF fair return. and if It will not psv
( private capital TO invest in irrigation, it most
certainly wol!i not pay the government to do
so
Itis only necessary to :lru to the bushes,
transacted t. the land Offices of Eastern oregon
during the past year ior a solution OF the pub
4
Ing itself
Ilitwere mistake in the government max
Ing large grant, Of land to the Union Pacific
ana Other railroads. il would be absolutely
crime to pass law permitting the leasing of
the government range.
We have large forest reserves in this state set
aside by the government, and there still re.
msinI much lsnd open to settlement. No one
Is so much interested in the preservation Of the
forests as the stockmsn. for besides furnishing
water and large smount OF tender and lux.
urious food for his stock during the summer
month";. il is a grateful retreat from the blazing
by experience that the ps,turing OF sheep In
the forest does not in.ure it, but, on the con.
trary protects it from the sweeping forest res
that would otherwise occur.
Gentlemen, it is necessary that We should
have more thorough organization Before
the next ANNA meeting OF this association we
hope to see the name Of every wool grower in
the Inland Empire enrolled as member. 1
United We stand. divided We fall.
thank you, gentlemen, for your kind at
tention.
After the delivery OF Chairman Belts
address, which was received with sp. |
piause, the minutes OF the previous
meeting were read by Secretary Fred |
W. Wilson, which were approved,
Constitution and bylaws as submitted F,
10y special committee. 10y motion Of
senator J. y. williamson, to adopt by |