The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1905-10-21
POLITICAL GRAFT
Worked BY State Officials ard
Sig shespmen on State
Lands for Grazing.

oDHit tiliit dEbf az WIS dAil1hHNt'f
100, ,OOO acres OF land in Fremont county
was selected by the state as grazing land,
and the whole tract was leased to four
sheepmen at about Z rents per acre. So
luietly we're the plans consumated that
the smaller stockmen knew nothing
about it until the "big four" secured a
ease on Ibis heretofore free range
When the small sheep man went to move
,f, he found he must first dip his flock
then he found himself in a trap The big
.-llows demanded rental OF 10 cents a
head for stock remaining on tire tract.
These less favored sheepmen appealed to
IN attorney in Boise City, and the whole
affsir was made public. The Capital
News, IN commenting on the deal says
On Sept. /, 1905, the state of Idaho,
through its land board, selected 100000
acres Of land in body in Fremont coun-
~; on Sept 5, just 5 days later, there
we're filed in the state land office ia APP
plications Of $40 acres each, for leases on
these lands for five years, for grazing
purposes. All these applications were
taken hy three notary publics, and the
pplications were Immediately granted
y the board and leases issued without
my investigation, payments for the
anne being made by cheeks signed by
James Webster, c. H. Woodmansee
Austin Brothers and johnson & serir
.or, all large -heep owners.
&c 454 Of the revised statutes o
Iiaho says: Applications for leases
hail contain an affidavit that the appli
ant is not owner OF lease Of state lands
t more than 160 acres, if agriculture
nl and not more than $40, ii grazing
nrluding the amount applied for, an'
hit he desires to lease the land for hi
ivn use ana benefit" The object O
his section being to prevent the scqui
.ition pf large ranges by stockmen to tn
'ttrinen, of small stock owners, jnst a
| he United Statrs land laws are intend
n iro prevent large corporations from oh
lining large tracts Of timber lands T.
the exclusion Of the poor man.
Section 458 revised statutes Of 1dah
roads, mo lease shall be sub-let with
mt written consent OF the land boarI
The letter printed in the Evening Cap
ital News from s.. Anthony yesterda
shows that the majority of these appli
eauis are sheep-herders, their wives
members of company. ard dummies
NJ that four men are exercising owner
nip over these lands. There can be n
question that ;he majority Of those AZ
plications are fraudu'ent and that whole
ale puriury has ben committed by
iar of y opIe.
The fact that these applications wer
filed Immediately upon the selection {
these lands. and the further fact tina
they were ali taken by three notariss an
that the rental fees were paid by fou
large sheep owners, and that there wei
40 conflicts i. the applications is ce
tainly ampl evidence to have put hor
est officials upon their guard. GosernC
Gonding, as chairman Of the state Ian
board ,under his oath of Office was in dut
bound to see 10 it that the laws Of nh
state were being obeyed. Secretary {
the state Gibson, another member ,
the board, is a resident OF Fremor
county and must know the true situ;
ton, but openly and brazenly violate
his Office. There was plenty Of evidenC
in all these transactions TO place an hor
est man on his guard and at least hay
caused an investigation before acting Q
these applications.
The News further conelHdes; rs thel
not Roosevelt OF a Joe Folk in h
state Of Idaho to institute proceeding
against these officials for a shamelsl
etraYal Of the trust posed in them ;
ignoring the plain provisions OF IL