, 1907-04-24
THE DENVER LAND CONVENTION

In the month of June there will be
n meeting in the city of Denver called
by Governor Buclte for the purpose of
discussing the proper disposition of the
public domain and the amendment of
the land laws. This meeting a of
course take no action that will be bind
ing. Its value will lie in the crystalli-
cation of sentiment. If the people of
the west are able to unite upon some
policy relating to the public lands, then
something of value may be accomplish.
ed. On the contrary, If there is wide
diversity of opinion and continued war.
fare between the cattle and sheep in
terests. there Is little likelihood that
congress will take any action. In fact,
1t is the expressed wish of a great
many stockmen, md more particularly
among those engaged in the sheep bus.
mess, that no change be made in the
present laws. They profess to believe
that proper evolution will come
through the operation of the home
stead, desert land and timber and
stone act, although most Of them con.
TESS that these acts are not all that
could be desired. The timber and
stone act is not used to any extent
for the purpose 1t was intended to
serve, but is made a vehicle for secur,
ing title to grazing lands, water holes,
the purpose Of keeping settlers out just
as much as 1t has served to give them
a home. This statement may be prov
ed by reference to the number Of orig
inal homestead filings and the number
OF final proofs. In Wyoming they are
as three to me At the present time
the desert act is serving the purpose
for which 1t was intended. In order to
secure title under the desert land act,
to permanently irrigate all the land
that can be brought under ditch and
must reclaim and raise IN agricultural
crop upon at least one-eighth of the
land. In extraordinary cases entry
men are permitted to receive patent
under the desert land act without the
agricultural crop, but in such cases
they are required to show by compe-
tent evidence that climatic, soil or 9th,
49, condition, .pnh that aprirnltprn
crops are impracticable. When all the
conditions of the desert act are com
piled with a valuable piece Of property
is secured.
The Denver convention will undoubt.
eddy take up all the phases of the land
question and endeayor to arrive at
some conclusion. II is therefore in,
cumbent upon those interested to see
that they are represented. Sheepmen
can survive the taking down of the
fences without much trouble-that is,
beyond the limits of the Union Pacific
land grant-but the class known as
the small cowmen will be hit hard and
are almost a unit for some sort of
control that will insure them a contin'
uance in their business.
AS a whole, it appears to be true that
the sheepmen have the best organiza-
ton and are doing most in the way of
presenting their views to the people
OF the west. Recently the Wyoming
organization announced that it would
spend $50, 900 If need be in bringing
the people of the mountain states 10 a
position antagonistic to any ort OF a
leasing law. The cattlemen feel just
as strongly the other way, but are net
nearly so active and are likely not to
have their side of the question pre-
scented in as clear n as forcible a
name
1t is TO be hoped that Wyoming will
be fully represented by the broadest
men We have. Nothing but good can
come from a full, fair and free discus
sion of the land question, and no place
is more accessible to all the great west
than DaDyar