Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-01-13

over grazing and the state Of anarchy
resulting from the absence " any meth-
Cd Of control In such .cnnalllaD that
any satisfactory adjustment Of existing
complications rs a most difficult prob
lem.
During the past ton years careful
live stock owners have realized that
their operations could not be safely
conducted entirely up0n the open range
and they have secured government and
state lands and purchased or leased
railroad lands until now the wisdom Of
such action Is generally recognized
with this az an object lesson the ma
jority Of live stock owners are reddy TO
acknowledge that the control Of goy-
enment grazing lands must come IN
the near future II the destruction Of
years is 10 be stopped, the ranges re-
stored aud an Increase IN the live stock
interests Of the West ~ 10 be realized
WHAT IS YET LEFT.
or the remaining 100000 acres of the
Union Pacific and grants about 100000
acrcg are In wyoming and about 2O0O,.
O00 are IN Colorado,
These tracts are located IN districts
subject to All the varying conditions
found In the West ln Western Kansas
and Nebraska, in favorable years crops
can be- raised and ot an times cattle
and sheep can find sufficient feed IN
Colorado. the lands IRE good for 0attle
and sheep grazing aH all are under fa-
vOrable climatic conditions. IN WyOm
Ing some OF these lands are useful for
sheep and cattle IN spring. others for
summer. ana other tracts best for fall,
while over 100000 acres are desert
tracts, being without water and used
only by sheep In the winter when snow
furnishes The moisture necessary to
sustain life
Sales Of the Union Pacific are. now
made At the rate Of about 200 900 acres
per year 80 that within few years the
entire grant viii be- entirely disposed
Of the lands viii be- IN private owner
ship and the Union Pacific railroad land
grant problem VIII DE thing Of the
past,
Questions affecting the prgoer use NJ
ne ever numbered government Sec
lions lying within railroad land grant
limits stu romain with the 500O0OO00
acres additional public lands Ia the
Wcat, as problems f0r adjustment the
proper handling OF which VIII mean
lower taxation and better develop
mqnt OF the resources a. the states nf-
feCted II the proper remedy had been
applied at the proper time. ana the
homestead law had been amefded 10
enable q settler In grazing Districts to
take up enough Of the arid lands 10 en-.
able him 10 make living ralsing cat
Tie and sheep, thus putting him on an
even basis with the settler In any part
0f the prairie states, whore the rainfall
was sufficient TO enable him To make a
living By raising grain upon his lGO.
acre homestead all Interests would
have been benefited and the wealth %
the West would be found to be greater
by many millions OF dollaA' than II IS
today,
That the business men Of the arid
states have not realized the Importance
Of the public land and national irriga-
tloD questions Is largely responsible for
present conditions. Defective land laws
have prevented development.
Tho recognition Of different cond-
tons md the necessity OF classification
aud handling Of arid lands upon plans
differ which the Union Pacific and 9th
or land grant operations offer as am obs
jcc, lesson, need not be lost upon the
men upon whom deyolves the duty Of
putting the public lands under control.
II IL Ia be hoped that the failure II
live stock owners 10 get together for
their own protection, and the political
and ignorance Of the stu
ntlon IN Washington VIII not much
logger hold back proper action
II The secret can be grasped properly,
and Utcle Sam win stop trying to put
q square land peg In round land hole
OF % round peg lr n square hole--ln 9th
or words adopt policy flexible enough
10 meet the requirements Of different
states and conditions as the Union Pa
cllo has done In handling It's land
grant great forward step win be- taxi
GA In Western development and the In
duence Of the Union Pacific land grant
may. at It's close prove 10 De u blessing
las Il was at rs beginning, IN making
possible then the construction Of the
first transoontinenlal railroad, which
with the additional lines to the north
and south, made possible the develops
ment Of the great new MATES Of today
from the wilderness OF yesterday.