The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-04-21

/ some specific individual or fOr some
/ concealed association. What becomes
/ OF the unfortunate stoclkman whose oc-
cupancy Cnly commenced in the year
/ ending Jan I. 1902? The bill should
/ condemned, if for only this attempt at
what seems TO be personal favoritism
! al The expense of the others"
The commissioner calls attention to
another large extent 90 which prefer
/ ence rights are given to privileged
/ classes. in that certain ieaseholds may
I be held TO be freeholds upon which TO
( base a right to vacant lands One,
/ therefore, holding $40 acres under d
! lease from state could occdDy 500
/ acres OF government land under this
/ bill III can thus be seen how the Dill
provides for one stockman 20 secure
/ enormous tracts Of public domain by
/ pay 1g . Ger Is rer acre with ten years
tenure with a privilege of renewal Cor
another ten years. 1t is practically g
twenty years lease at 40 cents per acre
for the whole period.
Unfair to Homesteader.
The commissioner places small faith
in the clause OF the bill reserving the
land to homestead entry. owing to the
fact that the bill proposes that livestock
grazed upon leased land after con-
firmaJion of the lease, make the owner
liable for all damage. The commits
sioner believes that the first victim to
suffer the penalty of this cruel provis-
ion would be the very one the bill as
sumes first to recognizable home
steader. He says that the settlers on
the public domain are usually poor, and
e is a long while before they are able
to enclose mUch of their 160-acre tracts
and as a result their few stock move
upon the adjacent UnenclOsed lands,
which, if leased under the proposed
bill. would subject the settler to Sc
we're penalties. The commissioner also
calls attention 10 the fact that the
Iessees who. he says. would be mainly
the large stock-owners, are not made
liable FOR any damage by their herds
which may pass over and destroy the
grasses upon the unencloSed and Un-
protected homestead settler
The commissioner says. This rank
injustice is not only inflicted upon the
hOmeSteader. but upon the small stock
CWner as we'll Such discrimination.
ne continues. amounts TO q declara-
tion that the hOmesteader and the
small stock-0wner must either surren-
der at 2 loss or move on"
He predicts that under such "A bill as
this ranch conflicts would be continued
and increased beyond what they are a
present. and that lane office contests
would become more numerous than
ever.
Soliciting Is Opposed.
Attention is also called to the clause
in the bin making al leases subject to
assignment. the effect of this being 10
confer upon ieasehOlders the power to
sublet 10 different persons, thus giving
the original lessee the power TO collect
large rentals upOn lands for which he
pays the government a merely nominal
sum. This right of assignment would
increase absenteeiSm and make pos
sible the control of millions of acres
of publ, domain, not alone for stock
purposes. but for speculation and act
ual sale to the highest bidders for the
preference right Of leasehoId- The set
tier and the small stock-oWner would
be forced 70 seek terms from the large
associations.
The commissioner holds that this pro-
posed leasing bill would result in even
more Objectionable conditions than pre-
vail at present, and would be worse
than thu present unlawful fencing, He
SAYS, We hold in trust not only for the
present generation, but FOR those who
shall come after US, the great domain.
IL is the heritage of the people We
are enioined to guard and administer
il so thai it shall subserve the greatest |
possible good Cor the greatest possible |
number. The pioneers are entitled to
the utmost aid. protection and SYM
PATTY in this matter. This has long
been the policy Of our nation. and to
restrict or forbid this class ny leasehOld |
OF other means from approach TO the |
public lands and the commons use-Of the /
same so long as they remain vacant, |
is a violation Cf that policy"
Would Retard Development.
The commissioner in concluding his !
report 10 the secretary of the interior
upon this proposed leasing BILL says:
II am confident that this bill if
enacted into law, viii work incaIculable
injury TO a majority Of the people of !
the western states, VIII retard the de-
velOpment of the public domain, viii |
impose additional DrivatiOn upon the
hardy pioneer. VIII compel the small /
=tock-Owner and settler to pay tribute /
and rental to the syndicate owner. or
drive them from the open field. VIII en- /
courage landed mOnODOlies upon the /
vacant domain which should be free to /
all, and viii engender a feeling OF hos /
ullty and inequality among those who I
should be friends and equals With 1
this conviction / earnestly recommend }
that this bill be returned to the hon /
CRADLE body whence it came with your
that it be reported ad- |