The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-06-24

OF OREGON
Must Remove Fences
From |. \. Land.
ORDERS FROM LAND DEPARTMENT
Special Agent Is in the State to
See That Order Is
Enforced.
ORDERS FROM LAND DEPARTMENT

Edward Dixon, a special agent OF
the interior department, IS no" III
eastern Oregon, warning cattlemeh
and others who have fenced in gov
eminent lands to tear down the Cd
structiOns, says the OregOnlan. lnose
who fail to obey Mr.. DiXOn's orders
will be prosecuted. both civil ana
criminal proceedings being instituted.
The Instructions given Mr.. Dixon
are explicit. He is instructed to re
main on the ground and personally
superintend the work OF cattlemeh III
destroying the fences that have been
built upon the public domain. IN the
event any one refuses TO obey MS III
structiOnS. he is to notify the district
attorneys office at once and drastic
measures will be taken TO enforce the
law
A little latitude is given Mr.. Dixon
in his work The federal officials have
no desire to destroy growing crops.
and will not take any action that
would impair the crops OF any cattle
man or other person who may be tres
passing upon The public domain. But
be so protected.
Over 100000 acres OF government
land will be thrown open to entr, by
this action Of federal officials and
source OF constant trouble will be re-
moved. Reports made to federal OH
! Gals declare that within sherman
| county alone 100000 acres OF public
| land has been fenced in by the CatJIe-
men. and while this is regarded as an
eXaggeratiOn, it is estimated that not
| less than 500. 900 acres is held with
out authrity in Grant. Sherman. Lake.
Malheur. Crook and Harvey counties.
| The total may far exceed this eStl-
| mate.
The unlawful holdings run from
| 1000 to $4,000 acres each. In many
instances cattlemen have fenced in
entire townships and are using them
as their private ranges. The inte-
riOr department recognizes the fact
that these cattlemen have large hold
| ings of their own, but the public Of
ficals insist that these are insignit
cant in comparison with the vast cOHn-
try fenced in without authority.
| No Delay Will be Allowed.
| Despite the fact that protests have
been coming from smaller cattle-Own-
ers and new settlers, the department
had taken no positive action up to the
time Mr. Dixon was sent into Eastern
| Oregon. A letter was sent to the cat
tlemen. by United States District At
tOrney John II. Hall a short time ago
warning them that they were viOlat-
ing the law, and that proceedings
were likely to be brought At that
time several thousand acres were
thrown open by the cattlemen, but
the majority paid no attention TO the
! warning. AS result, Secretary
Hitchcock resolved to send a special
agent to the country.
To give a simple warning and pass
on would involve the sacrifice of time
and money necessary for a second
tour of the cattle country. AS a re
suit. the interior department and Dis
trict Attorney decided that Mr. Dixon
should remain at each place where he
found the public domain fenced in I'M
til the barriers were removed The
position was taken by federal Off
Gals that. since the work had to be
done, it might as we'll be done at once
and the federal government saved the
expense Oh d SecOUu LIlp.
immigration Is Discouraged.
The most serious consequences of
the action of Cattlemen in fencing in
the government land has been the
discOuraging of immigration Reports,
| well authenticated, have been reCeiv-
ed to the effect that the CatUlemen
have warned off intending settlers
and have prevented them from taking
up homesteads. Small cattle-growers
have been deprived of the privilege of
the public range and have been driven
away from the territory usurped by
the cattle kings.
1t is insisted in this connection that
the hostility of the cattlemen has not
been directed toward the sheepgrow-
ers, for the sheep problem has been
settled in the big cattle districts
The smaller cattle growers and actual
homesteaders have been the principal
sufferers
While no estimate can be made
of the number of Intending settlers
who have been deprived Of an oppor-
tunity of finding homes in the cattle
country, it is declared the number is
very large. Many of these persons
have settled elsewhere in eastern
Oregon, but section of the state that
would otherwise have been rapidly
settled is still neglected.
When the ranges are thrown open
it is not intended that the government
shall forbid grazing on the public
lands. The big cattlemen will be al
lowed to Craze their herds wherever
they can find grass. provided they DO
not interfere with the rights of home
steaders and other property-owners.
But at the same time they will be