New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-05-02
THEIR FENCES MUST GO.
CA TTLE.uEN LIKELY TO Make
CONCESSIONS.
PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT EXPECTED-
THE PRESIDENTS FIRM ATTITUDE
IN FAVOR OF THE FARMERS.
IRY rELEGRArH To THE rRIRrxE. !

IRY TELEGRAPH To THE rRIRUNE-I
Washington. May 1-For more than two hours
this forenoon President Roosevelt held a secret
conference with Secretary Hitchcock and Binger
Hermann. Commissioner Of the General Land
Office. The Secretary of the Interior handed to
the President a voIuminous report containing
fun information collected by public land agents
in regard to the wholesale monopoly of the
public domain in the West IT contained a
complete summary of the matter discussed
at recent Cabinet meetings and exclusively set
forth in these dispatches. on returning to the
Interior Department Secretary Hitchcock said
he hoped to make adjustments with the cattle
men in such way that the law of 1888. pro-
hibitiug the occupation of the public lands for
grazing purposes. would be fully vindicated.
the cattIemen would be satisfied and protection
would be given to the suffering small farmer.
How the settlement to be made the Secre-
tary said. could not be definitely announced at
present. But it is explained when the cattle
men realize that the Secretary of War can send
troops to enforce the law, as has been done in
cases of disputes the Indian reservations.
they will reluctantly withdraw their cattle and
lower the Illegally raised fences. Secretary
Hitchcock is confident that there will be no
serious trouble. and h. says il is in the power OF
the executive authorities TO make the settlement
without the assistance Of Congress. In the
morning he had conferences with Senators Mil
lard and Dietrich. Of Nebraska. and a number
Of cattemen- He found them fair and reasona-
BILE In answer to appeals from Western Con-
gressmen for extension OF the date Of the
compulsory vacation of the illegally occupied
lands, which has been fixed BY executive order
at June 80 the President has said that as Con-
gressmen have made the laws. he can see no
reason why they should not want them enforced
Secretary Hitchcock has sent a cOmmunica-
tOn to the Senate Committee on Public Lands
taking the most decided stand against bills
pending before Congress. which propose TO de-
fine the terms and years for which public lands
shall be leased TO cattIemen. Numerous graz
ing bills have been introduced at this session
Of Congress. the main purpose of all being to
protect the cattlemen against the encrOachments
Of homesteaders. II has been known from the
inception Of the agitation that Secretary Hitch
cock and the officials of the land Office thought
the department should have for it's first consid-
Grafton the promotion Of hOnesteading The
theory OF the department is that all interests
will be best subserved by getting farmers on the
lands now held by the government and the Ind
ians as speedily possible Acre for acre,
Western farms will send five head OF cattle for
market TO one for the immense grazing tracts.
PRESIDENT SIDES WITH THE FARMERS.
Not only Is the President in thorough sym
pathy with this policy, but. being familiar with
sive in his advocacy. He has taken a stand
for the farmer against the cattle barons that
promises to develop more diverting feat
uTes than the against the Beef Trust and
Incidental TO that fight. promises better results
in increasing the beef supply and equaIizing
the market than the prosecution of the com
bination The object OF the effort TO dissolve
the Beef Trust is 10 prevent present extortion.
The controversy between the cattle barons and
the farmers. which The former have precipitated
by their leasing bills. involves the future beef
supply OF the United States. The possibility
of the hOOfed cattle being cOrnered by assOcia-
tions operating the community of interest
plan presents an issue OF more vital concern
than the one which Attorney General Knox and
District Attorney Betbea have set about to
solve.
Commissioner Hermann says. The BILL il
enacted into law, will make subject 10 lease
all vacant public lands in Arizona, California.
Colorado, Idaho, Kansas. Montana Nebraska.
Nevada. New-MeXicO. North Dakota. Oklahoma
oregon. South Dakota, Utah. Washington and
Wyoming, areI embracing about 80 100000
acres The leases run for a term Of
years with the privilege of renewal for a term
of ten years more. The annual rental is to be
two cents an acre the net revenue derived from
the lease to constitute a reclamation fund for
the construction of irrigation works on the arid
and semi-arid lands
The letter o. Mr.. Hitchcock is a scathing
criticism of the bill. AMI was prepared by Mr..
Hermann. The first objection 20 the bin is that
il leaves nothing To the discretion of the Sec
retary. but throws the entire public domain
open to leasers, except mineral lands and lands
that have been no nesteaded- The land may he
proper for disposition under the homestead act
the desert land act. or may he choice agri-
cultural land, but the bill makes no exceptions
and leaves everything open To- capture by the
cattle barons 1t is recited that the governments
last year disposed Of 1j2 16O acres OF land
under the desert claims act receiving there
fore S1.14t9A. None of this source of revenue
would he available under the proposed grazing
act.
The, Secretary cites the fact that LIST year
S1,l-lS persons began completed homestead
proceedings in the States named. There were
!$t-4 original homestead entries. involving
TS74253 acres of land. ard % 9G4 final home
stead entries involving 4. 135.OOO acres Of land
He argued that the enactment of the proposed
grazing law would tie up this land for from ten
10 twenty years. deprOvins the homeseekers OF
their rights
DANGER IN PROPOSED GRAZING Law.
But the most interesting feature of Mr.. Hitch
cocks criticism is the Illustration of the man
ner by which, under the terms of the proposed
bill. the cattle barons could secure a complete
monopoly on the public lands. not only 70 the
exclusion Of homesteaders but also TO the ex-
clusiou Of the settlers already on the lands
whose titles have not been perfected This
could be accomplished under the provision Civ
ing preferences To leasers, II is provided that
the first preference to lease of public lands
shall be allowed to freehClders at the rate OF
ten acres of lease land one of freehold But