Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-12-24
FAVORS FOR SMALL HERDS
President Approves Course Of Secretary
Wilssn Regarding Forest Reserves.
Hlr RATES TO THE SMALL RANcHtRs
After Local stock IL Provided for
Owners of Large Bunches
May he Admitted
to Land.


NAsHlNGTON, Dec. 23.-President
roosevelt, in letter addressed to secre-
tary Wilson. OF the Department Of Agri-
culture on the subject of fees for grazing
horses and cattle i'm the national forest
reserves upholds the secretary in the reg
uiations formulated by him, and which
VIII become effective January l. 1906
whereby certain rules are laid down for
the granting of grazing permits
The communication Is the result of a
protest sent to the president by cattlemen
from one Of the western states, and is
pasea on report by Secretary Wilson, to
"hom the protest was referred. The let
Yer OF the president is as follows:
pI dHE WHITE HOUSE. WASHINGTON,
DEC. "a, lsO5,-My Dear Mr.. Secretary:
/ cordially approve of the policy you are
Carrying on; Your effort Is 20 keep the
ne use OF the stockmen, and especially
me small stockmen who actually live In
me neighborhood OF the reserves. To
reserves and TO keep them so that they
can De permanently used by the stock
men. no less than by the public. you have
OF this money is 10 be obtained by charg-
ing small fee for each head OF stock
third of the actual value OF the grazing
is at present charged. and 1t is of course
perfectly right that the man that pas
lures his stock should pay something for
the preservation of that pasture He gets
ell the benefit Of the pasture and he pays
for ito use but a small fraction of the
value that 1t is to him and this money is
in reality returned to him because Il Is
used in keeping the forest reserve perma-
nentiy available for use.
Concession TO Small Herds.
You this year make a special reduction,
by which the small ranchmen pay but half
rates This is In accordance with the
steady policy Of your department as regards
the western lands. which is to favor in
every way the actual settler the actual
home maker, the man who himself tils the
soil himself rears and cares for his small
herd of cattle. In granting grazing permits
you give preference nrst to the small
occupants of the reserve range; and finally
to the owners of transient stock. This is
exactly as 1T should be. The small nearby
are making homes for themselys by the
labor of their hands, the men who have en-
tered to possess the land and to bring ur
their children thereon.
The other regular occupants of the re.
serve range, that is, the larger ranch own
ers. are only entitled 10 come after the
smaller men. If after these have been ad-
United there still remains an ample pas.
turage. then the owners of transient stock
the men who drive the tramp herds OIL
tramp flocks hithcr and thither should be
admitted These men have no permanent
abode. do but very little to build up tho
land and arc not favored a the expense OF
the regular occupants. large or small. This
system prevents the grass from being eater
out by the great herds focks of non.
residents. for only enough cattle and sheer
are admitted upon the reserves to fatter
Upon the pasturage without damaging. II
adopted the forest reserves are to be used
as among the most potent influences N
favor of the actual homo maker Of the mar
with few dozen or few score head OF cat.
tie which he has gathered by his own in
dustry and is himself caring for. This
is the kind of men upon whom the founds
tions of our citizenship rest and it is emf
IIently proper TO favor him in every way.
Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
HON JAMES WILSON.
Secretary OF Agriculture.