The state herald., 1902-03-07

The land leasing Diii is simply u
scheme OF the owners OF big cattle
ranches to get control OF the stock range
III the western states and, il it becomes
q law, ten years time Will wind up the
business Of the small stock ranches.
The owners Of the big ranches who are
. urging the passage Of this bill have been
preparing themselves for The enactment
OF such q law. The small stock men have
not been looking forward to the enact.
men. Of such Law simply because they
have considered 'thst ther. was no
prospect OF such law being On
acted. The bill rs We understand it pro.
vides that the owuer Of land mGy lease
from the government ten acres for every
acre owned by him. A the large stock
owner has for some time been urging
the passage oi such n measure, be has
undoubtedly prepared himself for the
passage OF such bill by securing title
10 sufficient land to give hin. all OF the
lessshold land under such Law that he
would need. The email stock man on
the other band has been contented to
own leo acres OF land ~ head quarters
for his ranch and when IT comes TO the
division Of tho land 10 be leased he would
b. exceedingly lucky II he secured the
number oi acres that the ownership OF
l60 acres would entitle him to. The
result OF the endorsement OF such q law
would be that the small stock man
would be 80 limited IN the amount Of
grazing land that he could not afford 10
continue in the business and he would
drop ont and let the large ranch owner
have the land. This bill has one pecu-
liar provision. II provides that after
each ranchman hiss received by lease
the number Of acres to which he 10 en-.
titled asA freebolder, nll remaining gov.
erument land subject to lease shall be
leased to the party or parties who oc.
cupied II during the year ending Jan. l,
1871. That provision was evidently
placed In the bill in tse interest Of the
big ranches. When it came to making
disposition OF this land. the man who
owned 20 or 100 head OF cattle grazing
on the open rsnse With thousands Of
head owned by the cattle CON panies
would stand no show OF securing sny OF
tho land. II 10 urged that under lease
Law every man would know exactly how
much Of the range he was entitled TO
use and that tho trouble arising over
tho uncertainty OF this with free range
would be thereby avoided. There
would be much more trouble arise over
the division oi tho range nndsr such n
law than the stockmen have under mn
open range. Better results can be oh.
tanned In stock industry when the bust
ness Is In the hands Of the small ranch
men for the stock 10 much better taken
care Of than II 10 on the large rnnch.s
|, 10 for tho best interests OF onr state
that the grazing land should se nsod In
snch manner NJ to give the best posi-.
w" T'tulS hnu NJ tnr sam" time furnish
homes within III. state for III. rrcstss,
po-sibls number ~ people. Ifa leasing
law goes into effect. II will have tho
ellsc, 10 deocnsc rather than increase
the population of tho grazing territory
OF tho state. Tho small siockm.n will
be crowded ou, and. after the land hiss
been opce Leased, there will be no
chance for apy more small stock men TO
get fooihold. II would put an end To
hom.siendinR in this state for no man
would bo foolish enough tn invest In tho
luxury Of homestead OF 40 acrss sur.
rounded by land every foot Of which WINS
already leased 10 stockmen. A lcase law
would bs On injury 10 the stock indus
try u the state and In some parts Of ths
state would prevent desirable increase
In the population. There u no leei,i.
ma,s demand for suoh y law and the
pending bill should not psse.