Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-03

| part Of the public lands by putting
/ u Co It, best use. Eepocial atten-
! ton was called 90 the prevention Of
/ settlement by the passage of great
areas 90 public land into the hands OF n
| Few mon. and 90 the enormous waste
caused by unrestricted grazing upon the
/ open range The recommendation of
| the public lundH commission are sound.
| for they are especially On tho interest of
| the actual home maker, and where the
small home maker cannot % present
! utilize the land they provide that the
! government shall keep control OF e SO
/ that Il may not be monopollzed by e.
! few men. The Congress has not vet
| acted upon these recommendations. but
/ they are 80 Just ana proper. so essential
| 20 our national welfare, that I feel COM
! ndent. N the Congress win take time 20
! consider them, that they win ultimate
! ly bc adopted,
PUBLIC GRAZING LAND.
Some such legislation as that pro-
posed Is essential in order 90 preserve
| the great stretches ct public grazing
land which are unit for cultivation un-
der present methods and are valuable
| only for the forage which they supply
| These stretches amount in an 10 some
4oV'VvOOOJ acres, and are open TO the
Tree grazing Of cattle sheep, horses aud
goats. without restriction such svs-
tenn, or rather such lack of system
means that the range is not SO much
used as wasted by abuse As the west
settles the range becomes more and
more oVor-grnzcd. Much of ID cannot
De used 20 advantage unless 20 f. fenced
Tor fencing is the only way by which to
Keep In check the owners OF nomad
HOOKS which roam nither and thither.
utterly destroying the pastures and
leaving waste behind so that their
presence Is Incompatible with the ures-
ence of home makers The ext.tine
fences are all Illegal Some of them
represent the Improper exclusion of
uclual settlers, actual homt-makers.
from territory which o. usurped bv
great cattle companies. Some OF Them
represent what is in itself "a proper eff
tort TO use the range for those up01
the land. and 60 prevent fee use by no
made outsiders. All these fences. tbosa
that are hurtful and those that are BEN
"hclal' are alike Illegal ana must como
down. But 10 IS am Outrage that tho
law should necessitate such action on
the part OF the administration Tho
unlaWtul fencing OF public lands for pri-
Nate grazing must De stonpcd buf tb.
necessity which ucCasioncd 10 must Dc
provided for. The federal government
should have control Of The range
whether by permit or lease. as local
necessities may determine Sucb cor-
troll could secure the great bone0t g.,
legitimate fencing while at the same
time securing and promoting the set
usment Of the country
HoMEsTEADERs RIGHTS.
In some places 50 may De that
the tracts of range adjacent a.
the homestcads Of actual SETTLER
should be allotted 20 them SOW
orally or In common for the sum
mer grazing of their stock. Elsowhcr.
II may be that a lease system would
serve the purpose. the leases To be
temporary and subject To the rights
Of settlement. and tho amount charged
being large enough merely TO permit
Of the efficient ana beneficial control
o, the range by the government. ana
Of The payment TO the county Of the
equivalent Of what IL would otherwise
receive Ia taxes The destruction or
the public range win continue until
sSme such laws as these are enacted.
Fully to prevent the fraud i'm the public
lands which, through the joint action
OF the interior department and the de-
partment Of justice. we have been en-
deavoring TO prevent there must be
further legislation. and especially a
sufficient appropriation TO permit the
department Of the interior to examine
certain classes Of entries on the ground
before they pass into private owner
shi1. The government should part with
It's title only Co the actual home
maker. not to the proft-maker vino
does not care to make a home. our
prime object Is to secure The rights
and guard the interests OF the small
ranchman. the man who plows and
pitches hay for himself. II Is this small
ranchman. this actual settler and home
maker. who I'm the long run is most
hurt by permitting thefts OF the public
land in whatever form.