Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1907-12-11

clamation Service. The land law sys-
tenn which was designed to meet the
n noSs o. the s. fe W,GeS and wshwatered re-
broken down when applied to the dryer
rewtons Of the Great Plains. the mount
aims, and much Of the Pacific slope
for seif-support. In these regions the
system lent itseaf 10 fraud. and much
land Irassssi out Of the hands Of the
Government without passing into the
ment Of the Interior and the DEPARTING
u Justice Joined In prosecuting the Of
tenders against the law; and they have
accomplished much. while whore the adj
ministration Of the law has been dcfec-
tive " has been changed. But the laws
themselves are defective. Three years
ago public lands commission was APP
pointed To scrut.nize the law. and defects
and recommend a remedy. Their exam
nation specifically showed the existence
OF great fraud upon the public domain,
and their recommendations for changes
In the law were made with the design of
conserving the natural resources ~ every
part Of the public lands by putting II
to Its best use. Especial attention was
called 10 the prevention Of settlement by
the poSsage OF great areas of public land
into the hands OF n few men. and To the
enormous waste caused by unrestricted
grazing upon the open range. The re-
commentators of the Public Lands Com
mission are sound, for they are especial
~ In the interest IT the actual home
maker. and where the small home maker
provide that the Government shall keep
control Of II 30 that II may not be mon
o1rolized by few men. The Congress
has not yet acted upon these recommen-
dations: but they are ~ ttr<t and proper
80 essential tn our National welfare. that
I feel confident, " the Congress will take
time to consider them. that they will
ultimately be adopted.
Some such legislation ~ that proposed
Is essential In order to preserve the grea,
stretches Of publlc grazing land which
are unfit for cultivation under present
methods and are valuable only for the
forage which they supply. These
stretches amount In all To some 3o.O1.
g0 acres. and are open To the free graz
ing ~ cattle. sheep. horses and goats
without restriction. Such system, or
rather lack OF system. means that the
range In not so much used az wasted by
abuse As the West settles the range
much Of II can not be used To advantage
unless II II fenced. for fencing II the
only way by which 20 keep In check the
owners Of nomad Hocks which roam
hither and thithcr. utterly destroying the
pastures and leaving n waste behind ~
that their presence - lncompatib.s with
listing fences are all Illegal Some OF
them represent the improper exclusion
81 actual settlers actual home ma kerr
from territory which II usirpsd by great
cattle companies. Some Of them reprc-
sent what II In itself n proper efYort to
Use the range for those upon the land
and to prevent Its use by nomadic out
s'iders. All these fences. those that are
hurtfui and these that are beneficial, are
alike Illegal and must come down. But
II II an outrage thnt the law should nee
Administration. The unlawful fencing
81 public lands for private grazing must
b. stopped. but the necessity which &C.
casioned II must be provided for. The
I$..l
troll OF the range. whether by permit or
lease, ~ local necessities may determine.
Such control could secure the great bene-
1T Of legitimate fencing. while mt the
same time securing and promoting the
settlement Of the country. In SONS
places II may be that the tracts Of range
adjacent TO the home~teads Of actual
settlers should be allotted In them sever
ally or In common for the summer graz
Ing Of their stock. Everywhere u may be
that lease system would serve the pur-
pose: the leasec to h. temporary and
subject to the rights OF settlement. and
the amount charged being large enough
merely to permit of the efficient and
beneficial control ~ the range by ths
Government and OF the payment TO tn.
would otherwise receive In taxes. The
destruction ~ the public range will con
tinuc until some such laws az thee art
the public lands which. through the Join
action of the Interior Department ans
the Department OF Justice. we have besr
endeavoring to prevent, there must b.
! further legislation and especially a stif
! ficient appropriation 10 permit the DE
partmsnt Of the Interior to examine Ger
\ tain classes ~ entries on the ground be
/ fore they pass into private ownership
| The Government should part with "
title only To the actual home-maker, no
! to the profit maker who does not care q
make a home. our prime object II to ~
I cure the rights and guard the interest
Of the small rancnman, the man VIII
plows and pitches hay for himself. II I
this small ranchman, this actual settle
and home. maker. who IN the long run
most hurt by permitting thefts OF tn
public land In whatever form.
Optimism II n good characteristic, bu
" carried TO an excess u becomes fcg
| ishness We are prone to speak Of TN
resources OF this country as inexhaus'
iblc; this II not -. The mineral weait
Of the country. the coal. iron. oil. ga,
and the like, does not reproduce itsel
and therefore IN certain tn be exhauste
| ultimately; and wastefuiness In dealin
with n today means that our descendani
will feel the exhaustion q generation Q
two before they otherwise would. II,
thee are certain forms Of waste white
soil by washing. for instance. which
among the most dangerous ~ all waste
now In progress In the United States.
easily preventaaae: ~ that TN. preseI
/
necessary. The preservation or replsc'
ment Of the forests II one of the mo-
important means OF preventing this los
We have made a beginning In forest pr,
. ser-vatton. but n IN only beginning. \
present numbering II the fourth greate
Industry In the United Slater: and ye
SO rapid has been the rate OF exhaustts
. Of timber In the United States In n
past. and 40 rapidly " the remainder b
. Ing exhausted, that the country II VI
aueSttonatfy on the verge OF "A tsub
! famine which will he felt In every hous
, | hoid OF the land There has already be-
rise In the Istce OF lumber. but there
certain Ia be more rapid and heayi
rise IN the future. The present annu
consumption OF lumber n certainly thr
times as great as the annual growt
and N the consumption and growth co
tirue unchanged. practically all our lur
. bcr will be exhausted ia another gcner
ton. while long before the limit TO cot
= Tacte exhaustion n reached the grown
scarcity will make itself felt In maj
= biighting ways upon our National W.
I fare About twenty per cent Of our %
, essted territory " now reserved In N
9 tionsl forests. but these d. not inclu
: | the most valuable timber lands. afrl
I any event the proportion II too small
= expect that the reserves can acoompli
= more than mitigation % the uoul
:, | which n ahead for tn. nation. Far mo
q drastic action n ne--,led. Forests can
-. ~ III