Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1902-05-03
TO SAVE RANGES.
Bill TO Lease Lands in Sinai Tracts
and Keep Out Corporations,
OVERCOME STRONG OBJECTION.

Although there is an cNpliCahlc de.
sire on the part of nearly every scna.
tor and representative In Washington
tn sidcstcp any legislation that will
settle the question oi privileges OF
stock raiscrs ON the public domain. the
problem seems certain To- come up for
disposal at an early day. says dis.
patch from Washington oft April 30, To
the Denver News.
The president has extended the time
for the removal of Illegal fences until
July /. At that time hc states they
must come down
Delegations from the ranges OF the
west have been hcsicging the commit.
tee on public lands in the senate aud
house with demands FOR some kinds of
legislation allowing grazing privileges
They assert that conditions ON the
range are not what they used 10 be.
and that if il is proposed t. let :ho
grazing interests take care of them.
selves as they have in the past. there
is going to be much confusion. The
bills providing Tor the leasing OF the
public lands at present before congress
are satisfactory 10 few OF the law
makers. IN fact. the mere mention OF
a leasing law IN the halls OF congress
is sufficient to bring out the ire Of
nearly every senator and representa-.
tive on whose ear il strikes.
Lease the public lands and YOU will
be giving away the rights OF home
stead settlers ana small cattle owners
20 large corporations, who viii use
every acre has been the slogan.
ASK ten congressman you ct tor n
solution of the difficulty and from
nine of them the answer invariably is
Il am in favor OF no law that deals
with the leasing of public lands or
let the cattlcmca take care of them.
selves. as they did before
Congressman Lacey of Iowa, intro
ducod a bin today which he hopes will
solve the problem of preserving the
grass on the public domain and TO all
land holding stock raiscrs the privilege
they have been seeking True. his bill
is a leasing bill. and this may win for
IL the odium of those who long ago
formed the opinion OF all leasing bills
and who rcfus, To lee converted In
this case. however. il is the corpora
tons. instead of the small holders. that
Mr. Lacey proposes to crowd out Inc
bin expressly provides that no corpora.
ton shall ho given leases on the public
lands. The preamble OF the hill Is as
follows
The purpose If the hin is 10 give
the homestead settlers and freehuiders
the opportunity in the arid region to
improve, use and protect the grass
upon the public domain In the vicinity
of their holdings. so as To prevent the
further deterioration and the monopo-
lization Of the range 10y owners of
large herds of live stock
Mr. Lacey stated today that he has
long been convinced that something
mus; be done To protect the grass on
the range, and that a leasing law was
the only thing that would do IL. In
order to meet the objections of those
who said "A leasing privilege would
only WORK to the benefit of the large
corporation and crowd out the small
holder he has framed the bill express
y In the interest of small holders The
corporations with their cattle must
roam the opens as they nave done in
the past or they must hire the leasers
to feed their cattle for them.
The main provision of the bin Is as
tollowG:
All lands not capable of irrigation
may hc leased for grazing purposes.
subject to IN" right OF homestead. min
eral and other lawful entry laws. The
ltdStN are 10 run LOT HNt years, n
lessee must be a landhoder He VIII
be allowed tG lease not more than 3 200
acres He may fence the leased lands.
mere will be six classes of land TO be
leased at |. >. 3, 1, , and t. cents per
acre according TO location and value
for grazing purposes The bill puts
no hindrance ON grazing on the unoc-
CupiCd public lands Corporations and
non landhoIders can occupy them as
they have done in the past, of course
observing the law concerning the cree.
tion of FENCES
Congressman Lacey is enthusiastic
over the prospects OF the new hill. and
says 1t will meet every objection that
has been offered to a leasing PROPOSE
ton. II was presented to the house
public lands committee this morning.
and was freely commented upon,
though very few fixed opinions We're
expressed