Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-04-18
DRIFT FENCES.
Interview With Secretary Hitchcock
and Commissioner Hermann on
the Subject.
FENCES MUST BE REMOVED.

Inere mas Deen no resembling OF the
orders to remove fences from the pub.
lie domain" said the secretary of the
interior. according to a recent dispatch
from Washington, ''and neither has
there been any order calling upon spec.
ial agents of the land Office to do more
than they have been ordered to do in
the past"
Secretary Hitchcock was speaking OF
the law requiring stockmen to remove
fences from lands to which they had nc
title, the enforcement of which is max.
ing such a stir among local cattle own.
ers in the west at the present time. Mr.
Hitchcock denied that the time for the
removed Of such fences had been ex
tended sixty days, and he also denied
that there was any intention of the
government to extend it for one year,
as has been reported in the west.
"A special concession IA made to a
large cattle company in southeastern
New Mexico" said Secretary Hitch
cock, and it was allowed to maintain
what fences it had erected on public
lands until June. This vas by special
recommendation of the president, To
whom the company represented that
the removal of the fences at the pres.
ent time would entail on them great
loss and inconvenience by the mixing
of herds as they were planning to
make a big sale in June, and II would
be almost impossible to separate the
salable cattle from the rest at hat
time il the fences were removed. This
order applied to no other part of the
country than that occupied by that
particular company"
Claims Policy Unchanged.
When questioned as to an apparently
new policy adopted by the department,
namely, the removal of all fences on
public grazing lands instead of those
complained of by small cattle owners
Secretary Hitchcock asserted that the
department had maintained the same
policy continuously and it's aim lad
been to observe the law and cause all
lands to be kept open. He said the
special agents were always under ord
ers to this effect, and If they had over
looked lands complained of they were
doing so without the sanction of the
department.
There has been absolutely no move
or change of policy in the department
said the secretary. The fencing ques.
ton is the same now as it has been
since the law was passed forbidding
the Enclosure of public domain. and the
department is. as usual, reporting such
parties as refuse to remove fences lille.
gally erected to the department Of jus
tice that they may be acted upon
through the courts"
Binger Hermann. commissioner OF
the general land office, was a trifie more
committal than the secretary of the in
terror and he admitted that while the
special agents of the interior depart
ment were always under orders to have
fences removed from public grazing
lands, they had but very recently been
stirred up about it and reminded what
their full duty was. Mr.. Hermann ad.
mitted that the land office had been in
clined to be somewhat lenient in the
past, but it was now the intention to
proceed against everybody and cause
the removal of all illegal fences. both
those complained of and those not. Mr.
Hermann said:
within the last few weeks a large
number of stock raisers in the west
have complied with the orders of spec
ial agents to remove ~obstructfne
fences. Three hundred and fo~rty-three
outfits have been notified to remove
fences and sixty days have passed
without their complying. They have
been reported to the attorney generals
department. Some eight or nine OF
such parties have been convicted. Sew
eral score of cases are pending at the
present time"
Destroyed by Government.
Commissioner Hermann cited the
case of a large cattle company in Ore
gon which refused TO remove its fences
from public lands. The case was Tough
through several courts anu finally woI
by the government. The company still
persisted in maintaining its fences
whereupon the government hired mel
and had the fences destroyed. Ston'
walls were pulled down, wires were Gu
to bits and posts were pulled up ant
strewn yer the plains.
Petitions from stock growing asso
Citations in the west have been forward
ed to Washington asking the presiden
to stay the interior departments orde
until pending legislation on grazini
interests can be settled. 1t is not alto
gether unlikely that the president wi
comply, judging from his leniency i
the New Mexico case
Bills providing for the leasing @
public lands TO stockmen will be cor
sidered by the senate and house con
mittees on public lands with a fey
days. Both committees are awaitin
the opinion of the secretary of the II
terror on the measure.