The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-12-05
AN ILLUSTRATION OF
EASTERN PIG-HEADEDNESS

EASTERN PIG-HEADEDNESS
National Live Stock Bulletin.
AS an illustration of how strongly
eastern insist on the correct
ness of their point of view, and how
-persistently such publications decline
to give ear t. the other side. we print
the following communication. The
letter was written in reply TO an edi-
torial appearing in the washington
Post'-a newspaper that is credited
with standing closer, perhaps, to the
administration than any other news
paper il the country. The communica-
tion was held in the office of the Post
for two weeks, and finally was return
ed with a slip reading:
The Washington Post thanks you
for the offer of this manuscript, and
regrets that it is not available"
The letter which the Post declined
to print is given here in full:
Washington. D. c., Oct. II, 1907.
To the Editor of the Post, Washing
ton. D. C.
oil IOIlCG III SOul loSliC VI LILLE
date an editorial commenting on Pres
ident Roosevelt's stand in regard to
the leasing of western range lands,
etc. As one pretty thoroughly ~acquailt
ed with conditions in the sections of
country where range lands lie, 1 feel
impelled to call your attention to sew
eral points whereon the Post, in COM
mon with many other eastern publica-
tiols, has fallen into error.
in regard to the i~nhumanity of
western cattle companies in their nan-
ding of stock, let me say that you
must be grossly misinformed. No cat
tie company in the entire West-and
| am acquainted with most of them
figures on anything like a loss of "25
and ven 50 per cent of their stock
by starvation and freezing in one win
ter" While there are many cattle COM
panies throughout the West, the oper-
atoms of which are conducted on a
truly gigantic scale, there is none that
could live three years and suffer an
annual loss such as this. Such a state
ment is preposterous.
''In regard to shelter and winter
feed for cattle and other live stock
the stock men of the range states are
as deeply interested as President
Roosevelt can possibly be. Willful in
humanity is no more a part of theil
program than it is a part of the Pres
ident's when on his bear hunts, ETC.
as, for instance, the hunt of a year
n a half ago when the President
n members of his party were cred
tied with staying dams with cubs a
their sides, and even with far worse
breaches of the sportsmal's o Il
is an easy matter for fasteners, accus
toned to the small, well-fenced pad
docks of lis part of the country, and
to the methods in vogue here of car
ing for stock, to say that similar care
must be taken of stock in the West
Unfamiliarity with conditions-a lack
of realization of the incomparably
greater scope of stock raising opera
tions in the VESTS responsible for
the taking Of such a stand. How, let
me ask, could any company running
from 1U,UOO 10 IUV,UOO nedO OF SJOck
plan for winter shelter and feed, yer
though such company were to be COM
posed of. Differed by and under the
sole management of Quakers or of
members of the Humane Society?
There Is no money in the live stock
business in the West, unless it is con
Quoted on a large scale. This state
ment cannot be disputed, even by the
President. Being compelled, there
fore. to conduct their business large
ly, 1t is folly 20 expect or to endeav-
or to compel, the stock men of the
range states 20 house and winter feed
their herds. How much barn room n
how many tom OF alfalfa would be re-
quired, under such conditions, to a
ry over sc, 1000 head of steers? With
the cheapest o~btainable lumber at
SIS per thousand feet and upward,
and alfalfa hay at $12 to SIS per ton,
how much of an Investment would
such a company Ia to make TO shell
ter and winter feed a herd of this
size?