Williams news., 1905-09-02
GRAZING ON
 REPRESENTS

The announced policy of the az ricultural department to charge for the grazing of stock in forest re- serves after January 1st has caused much uneasiness and dissatisfac- ton among the small stock and ranch men, who reside in the vicin- ity, and who have depended to a large extent on the Prescott forest reserve as grazing field for their cattle.
 To such an extent has discus sion of the question extended that it has called out many expressions of opinion as to the legality of the regulation promulgated by the az ricultural department in a mineral country.
 Under the act creating forest re- serves, mineral lands are excepted and location of mining claims are permitted under the U. s. mineral laws; if this be true then the agri- cultural department cannot issue a permit to graze upon lands over which they can only exercise juris diction as far as the removal of timber may be concerned; if the same should be cut and offered for sale-in other words, the agricul- tural department has no right to say to a man what he can cut, or what he cannot cut, so long as he used the timber on his own claim or group of claims, and in this they recognize the fact that the locator of a mining claim is in no wise sub- ject to the rules of the forestry reg ulations SO long as he complies with the mineral laws and good faith is shown.
 Thequestion then naturally arises, what right has the agricultural de- partment to make regulation and send out agents to force the collec- ton of tax on stock for grazing on lands that belong to some one else because they are included with in the boundaries of a forest re- serve?
 It smacks very much like other regulations they made and have been trying for the past two years to enforce-and that was to close the saloons on the forest reserves. This regulation was composed of nerve and bluff, but they found the peopleo out here would not be bluffed.. The saloons are still here and the forest reserve officials have failed to bring even test case, because they knew under the law they were whipped before they started. and this is about the way it will be with the charge for grazing.
 What the stockmen need down in this locality is to resist payment and let the agricultural department bring suit. It won't cost much to contest the issue, and if this is done it can be easily shown that over 100000 acres of land in the Pres colt reserve is either located as min ing claims or patented. The county recorders office will disclose the fact that there is at the present time between fourteen and sixteen thou sand mining locations in the terri tory tributary to Prescott and nine- ty per cent of them are in the Pres colt reserve.
 We are confident that the stock men can graze on these mining claims if there is no objection of- fered by the owners, and we believe the agricultural department will recognize this right of possession by the locators, for the reason that they do not claim to have jurisdiction over lands carrying easement or abatement of title. In fact they make 1t clear in their rules and regulations that such lands are un- der the jurisdiction of the secretary of the interior, which, if true, would prevent the agricultural department from interfering with the lands ex- copt as noted above.
 If the uueation oomas mn in the