The daily tribune., 1906-01-12

HON. ETHAN ALLEN HITCHCOCK.
Secretary Of the Interior.
tion and recOnnalssanccs and surveys,
such as has been the history in the
great irrigation works of every other
country, there are to-day in course OF
construction, dozen huge projects,
and last June. just three years after
the law was passed, the first project
was completed
OF Vast Import to Nation.
Secretary Hitchcocks vigorous work
In saving the public domain for home
seekers, and in bringing into prac-.cal
operation n policy for the absolute
creation out Of desert nothing. OF
thousands and eventually millions OF
prosperous American homes IL, in
reality the greatest work OF the gener-
alton. The actual benefit OF this great
internal development and improvement
OF the nations property far surpnsses
the work Of any other department Of i.
the government.
(7Ae Loiiowing Is he last Portion offhe rrtorf
Of fUhos< mem6ryg are employed Endry .S<ereIayy
HheAeoek, and IhoSe Dsetps on As'a /,aHds aee0rd
uffh their ehI<CJ.)
Grazing Lands.
The great bulk OF the vacant public
lands throughout the West are unsuitable
| for cultivation under the present known
conditions of agriculture. and NO located
that they can net be reclaimed by irriKa.
il is estimated, more than 30. .ooo.o .ooo acre:
mately equal to one NTH the extent OF the
United States proper. The exact limits
can not be set f9r % with bss season1i changes Ses
grazing one year are almost desert In an
| other. There are also vast tracts OF wood
ed or timbered land In which grazing has
classification of the public lands is made
VIII ,,s be Impossible to FiSye with exact,
vast and the commercial interests in-
volved so great as TO demand In the high
est degree the wise and conservative ham
ding of these vast resources.
1t js a matter of the first Importance to
know whether these grazing lands are be-
continued development Of the country or
whether they are being abused under .
velopment ana by which the only present
| stroycd.
theoretically open commons. free TO all
citizens; but as n mater of fact large
proportion have been parcelcd out by more
or less definite compacts or agreements
among the various interests. These tacit
agreements are continually being violated.
The sheegmen and cattlemen are in fre-
quent collision because OF incursions upon
each others domain. Land which for
years has been regarded as exclusively
cattle range may be infringed upon BY
to migrate. violenee and homicide fre-
quently follow, after which new adjust
mcnts are made and matters quiet down
for time. There are localities where
the people are utilizing to their own salts
faction the open range. and their demand
is to be let alone, so that they may parcel
out among themselves the use OF tho
lands. but an agreement made to-day may
broken tD-m
tions OF shifting interests.
The general lack Of control In the use Of
public KrnzinR lands has resulted. natu-
rally and inevitably. in overgraxing and
the ruin OF millions OF acres Of otherwise
valuable grazing territory, Lands useful
for grazing are losing their only capacity
Tor productivencss, as, OF course. they
must when no legal control Is exercised.
II Is not yet too late to restore the value
OF many OF the open ranges Lands ap-
parcntly denuded OF vegetation have Inn
proved in condition and productiveneas
upon. coming under any system of control
stocking and OF applying Intelligent mah-
ngement 10 the land. on some large
tracts the valuable forage plants have
been utterly extirpatcd. and Il is imprar-
trncts II will be possible by careful man
agement for the remaining native plants
TO, recover their viKor and to distribute
sesus. which Will eventually restore much
I've action must be taken. however. II the
value OF very much Of the remaining pub
lie domain II not to be totally lost.
The conclusions as to grasing reached
First. Upon The results Of lon. seouais-
.snes with Erasins problems in ths nablic-
land States on the part Of sack- uspm6Se
Of your commission.
Second. Upon the results Of careful ss-