Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-05-05
is MERELY A COINCIDENCE.
Action Toward Preventing Monopoly
of Government Land Not Against
Any Beef Trust.
President Determined to Open All
Government Lands For Benefit
of Homeseekers.
Merely coincidence" That the In
tention of the President Is Made
Known at This Time.

Washington. May 5.-What is re-
garded by the administration and
leaders in congress as a combined
movement on the part of stockmen to
secure the enactment of legislation
which will permit their securing
monopoly of the public domain will
thWarted by the strenuous opposition
of those who believe that the public
lands should be reserved for home
seekers.
President Roosevelt and Secretary
Hitchcock today held a long confer
ence on the subject. An attempt has
been made to connect the beef trust
with the movement now on foot to
induce the government to adopt plan
of leasing to stockmen large areas of
public land for grazing purposes. This
contention is denied even by members
who vigorously oppose the legislation
asked by the stockmen. The proceed
ings of the administration against the
beef combine and the prominence
given the legislation with reference
to leases of the public domain to stock
men are purely coincidental. There
has been an impression for the past
two weeks that the stockmen had
practically abandoned the legislation
asked in their behalf. 1t now devel-
cps that they propose to push the
fight to the end, but the sentiment in
congress is so strongly against them
that there is small prospect that they
will be successful. The attitude of the
administration on this legislation is
reflected in a vigorous letter of dis
approval addressed by Secretary Hitch
cock to Senator Hansbrough, chair
man of the senate committee on pub
lie lands. The secretary is strenuously
opposed to the proposition contained in
the pending bills.
The land that would be affected is
largely located in the Dakotas, Kansas,
Colorado. California, Arizona, Wash
ington and Wyoming. aggregatirg
more than 5000OO.O0O acers
Secretary Hitchcock states that dur
ing the past year S1,53S persons have
began OF completed homesteads in the
states named. He asserts that the ac:
ton of the stockmen in erecting fences
on the ranges, in direct violation Of
law, has already done much DAMAGE
and discouraged the filing of many
homeseekers. The secretary expresses
the opinion that the enactment of the
pending bills into law would practically
give the stockmen a monopoly of the
public domain. While the home
seeker is ostensibly given preference
rights, the stockmen would have the
advantage under the provisions of
pending bills. The activity of the
stockmen in this connection has
prompted the department to take ag-
gressive steps against them in several
of the states.
1t appears that large areas have
been fenced in many states, constitut-
ing discouragementt to homesteaders,
which has been the cause of consider
able complaint during past years.. No
tice has been given that all such fences
must be removed by July l..
This action has no connaotion wbot
soeyer with the steps taken by the ad-
ministration against the beef trust.
1t is merely coincidence that both
matters have assumed prominence at
the same time.