The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-06-21
TO ATTACK LEASES
SMALL s1uCEnER COMBINE TO
FIGHT Big ONES.
They Hsve Seen practIcalN Grove.
ed orr the Eastern Vsshinoton
Rsnoes-Asslgnments Of Leases,
BY which Sfate Law Is Clrcum.
vented, to Be Contested.

Olympia, June 19.-As q result Of
the gradual restricting Of the stock
grazing territory in Eastern Washing.
ton and the crowding out Of the small
er stockmen, the latter have formed q
combination and are contributing
funds In an effort to devise q way Of
divesting the big stockmen Of some Of
the grazing lands they are now enjoy
ing.
Last week an attorney for the COM
bination Of small stockmen spent sew.
eral days in Olympia going over the
leasing records Of the state land Office,
and az a result Of his researches 1t is
said that legal battle Of magnitude
is impending, which will call into
question the legality Of the leases on
immense tracts Of land situated in
nearly all sections of Eastern Washing
ton. In some parts Of the state stock
men some years ago acquired the rail.
road lands at q small figure. These
lands comprised only the odd mum.
bered sections.
Big Tracts Under renee.
The state selected the even sections
for the educational land grants, and
the state lands were then leased to the
owners of the railroad lands. In this
way tracts comprising as much as 100
square miles we're placed under fence.
The small stockmen have been free
lsnces until now, as q result Of the fur
Their encroaohments of the big stock.
men, the settling up of the country,
and the passage Of law by the last
legislature restricrting the running at
large Of stock they are having q fight
for their lives.
The point on which the first attack
10 likely to be made is the leasing of
the state lands. The enabling act and
the constitution provide that educa-
tional lands shall not be leased in
tracts greater than one section to any
one person. Under ruling of the at.
torney general the land Office has per-
mitted assignments frem lessees Of
their sections to one individual or
company, thus circumventing the law
in the same way that large mill own.
ers have had employees take up claims
Of governments timer and then bought
the claims.
How Leases Are Obtained,
A big stockman, desiring to lease
state lands, will have his wife and bis
foreman and his foreman's wife and
their children and the employees of the
ranch and his lawyer and his friends
each bid in section and then later
assign to him.
The small stockmen have in mind
the contesting Of these assigned leases,
and IL they should DO successful net
only the stock grazing industry Of
Eastern Washington, but wheat grow.
ers and other agricultural pursuits
would be affected, az the same scheme
has been worked in leasing lands in
Eastern Warrington which are suita.
bio for wheat growing. There are
hundreds Of instances where one man
or company now has under lease,
three, ten, twenty or more sections Of
agricultural lands, and IL the combi.
nation Of small stockmen is successful
every man who has more than one sec.
ton in his own name will find himself
the possessor of q valueless sheet OF
paper. The investigations were con.
Quoted here with attempts at strict
secrecy.