, 1907-03-02
NOW FOR THE FUTURE.

If the stoclimen of this portion Of the
state are anxious to have the right
to lease at a nominal figure small
tracts of land contiguous to their pat
ented holdings, they should organize
and make their wishes known. Some
plan upon which all can agree ought
to be formulated and adhered to until
definite results are accomplished. The
Republican believes the national ad-
m~inistration will yield to The wishes
OF western men and that it will permit
western men to manage the admin
~istration of any Law that may be pass
ed. President Roosevelt understands
that western men have the knowledge
and the experience and are therefore
the only ones who are qualified to take
up a work of this character. The
keynote of the entire situation is legal
possession-possession that will give
stockmen the right to fence and con-
troll under the law for a specified term
of years, subject only to the operation
OF the land laws, a certain tract OF
land. With such an asset attached to
a homestead right, homesteaders would
not be so fearful about trying their
fortunes in this state. In no case
should the area leased be large. 1t
should by all means be a poor mans
law and the small ranchman and home
steader should be given the first pref
erence to lease the land contiguous to
his patented land.
Not many years ago Hon. Elwood
Mead outlined a plan that appears on
the surface to be exceptionally we'll
adapted to the conditions in Wyoming,
and more particularly the southeast
ern portion. Mr.. Mead's plan follows:
Give to each settler and irrigator
of one hundred and sixty acres the
right to lease a certain area of graz
ing land contiguous to his home, If
possible. II rot, wherever 1t can be
had. Give the owner and c%ultivator
of a less acreage the right to lease a
proportionate area, but make no in
crease in the acreage which could be
leased by one individual above the
unit fixed for one hundred and sixty
acres of irrigated land. This will
tend to create small farms, since a
man owning sixteen hundred acres Of
irrigable land could lease no more than
one owning one hundred and sixty.
Make the rental a fixed sum, to pre-
vent competition in bidding, n the
rate low enough TO insure making
leases desirable. ONE CENT AN
ACRE is THE RATE RECON-
MENDED.
THE maximum area which one in
diyidual might be permitted to lease
could be varied in different states TO
agree with the relative proportion of
i~rrigable and grazing land. In Wyo-
ming four sections of grazing to n
hundred and sixty acres of irrigable
land would, it is believed, afford the
proper ratio. This would give two
thousand five hundred and sixty acres
of pasture lands for an annual rental
of $3.50.
Under such a system, the area of
grazing land leased would only be ex-
tended as farms multiplied. The lands
not needed by farmers would remain
as they now are. The settler would be
protected from the nomadic flock and
the transition from our present condi-
ton would be too gradual to be injur-
ious. Every irrigated farm having this
grazing land attached thereto would
be increased in value and many would
be worth double what they are today
without It. The stimulus to emigra-
ton would be correspoudingly
strengthened and the value Of invest,