The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-10-23
WEDNESDAY, OCT. %, 1907.
WOULD LEASE THE RANGE.

While it is the general opinion
among Montana stockmen and far.
mers that the free use OF the public
domain is preferable to any system OF
leasing, it appears that a number OF
citizens in eastern Montana hold views
to the contrary. According to the
Billings Gazette, a leasing PROPOSE
ton is favored by many residents OF
Rosebud county, located south of the
Yellowstone river, who are circulating
. petition in which congress is re-
quested to provide for the leasing of
the public domain inIthat part of the
state. The request is not likely to
meet with favorable action, as it con.
templates special Legislation, but the
petition is said to beireceiving a large
number of signatures.
A general outline lof the plan pro-
posed by these citizens OF Rosebud
county appears inlthese extracts from
their petition:
1t is respectfully requested that such
lease law shall affect;.only all that
portion of thel;countys of Rosebud,
state OF Montana, according to its
present linestsand tbound aries, lying
south of the Yellowstone river: that
such right ~to:lease the public domain
fit only for2 grazing. be. granted SUBJ
stantially; upon the following terms
and conditions:
That everyt person., firm, corpora
alton, or association of persons own
ing not less than 16O acree of land,
within said territory shall be permit.
ted to lease not to exceed ten sections
Of the openlgovernment.grazing lands:
That MCPHERSON; firm, corporation,
or associations OF persons shall, nor
shall the individuals composing the
same, be permitted to lease to exceed
ten sections ofIsaid lands, and that nc
person shall identified to be interested
in or own anyIpart of but one of such
lease rights.
That:the..right to lease such land
shall be first recorded to those persons
who now own within said territory tn,
amount of lands above provided for
but If after thesallotment and leasin,
of such of said lands as may be apple,
for by.!those persons who now owl
lands within said territory there shall
remain lands which have not bee,
leased or applied for, then every per
O who has or shall make entry upol
no. less than 100 acres Of the publ,
domain within said territory unde
the homestead or desert land law
shall be entitled to apply for and t
lease MOI to exceed ten sections OF tn
public lands under such act as may b
passed.
That. no lease Of public lands under
such act shall be transferable by as
signment or otherwise to any per
SOD, firm, corporation or association
of persons who are holders Of an
other lease fright under such act, o
interested therein.
That the term of leases under sucl
act be not.lessithan ten years.
That the rentals for said lands b
from one.halfi'cent to two cents pc
acre per year, according to the elias
OF said landsNand according to thei
location andlquality as grazing lands
the object being to raise sufficient rev
enue therefrom to maintain the eS
penses ~createdlby the act and the cos
OF classifying, apportioning and leas
ing the MISUNDERSTANDING thei
occupancytthereafte
That all of the lands within sal
territory be examined and classifie
before leasing, that all of the agricu.
tural lands which would be availabl
for entry under homestead or desc,
land laws, be excluded from the lease
tracts which shall comprise grain
lands and no other, and'that said land
be by representative Of the departing,
then apportioned with regard to exis
ing ownerships and in the order
which application shall be made *
leases thereof.