The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-06-19
WEDNESDAY, JUNE ~. 1907.
SHALL RANGE BE LEASED7

The public lands convention at Dem
yer is an incident of the range leasing
proposition that will attr act attention
in all parts OF the west. The purpose
of the convention is to secure an ex-
preston of western sentiment regard.
ing a subject that will be pressed up
on the attention of congress by the
president and others, with q view to
occurring a radical change in the meth
Cd OF disposing of the public domain.
The advocates Of this proposed new
departure contend that the use Of pub
lie property is q benefit or conven.
fence for which the beneficiary should
return some sort OF compensation.
They suggest that western stockmen
Who range their herds and Aocks upon
the public domain should be required
TO pay for the privilege. Some Of
them favor a system under which each
stockman may have exclusive use Of a
certain area by paying q small rental
per acre, while others recommend the
permit or grazing fee system that is
now used in forest reserves and on In.
dian reservations. Under the latter
method, the stockmen would be re.
quired to pay a fee or tax for each
animal that grazed upon the public
domain.
Many western stockmen are strongly
opposed to either plan, while others
assuming that q change of come kind
will surely come-express their pref.
erence for leasing the range at so
much per acre. The permit or graz.
ing fee system is obnoxious for sever
nj reasons. The principal objection
is that it wouldlplace in the hands OF
government officials the power to ar.
bitrsrily compel stockmen to dispose
of portions of their Aocks and herds
under conditions that might cause
serious financial loss. The citizen who
is engaged 10 the livestock business
looks for his profits in oper atoms tina,
extend over q series of years. He
cannot acquire an outfit OF cattle
horses or sheep with the expectation
of making his profits from them tn
next season. But under the permit o,
grazing fee system, he would be sub
Ject to an order from federal official
to ~reduce)his livestock possessions 0
60 Out of business entirely At an!
time commanded by these authorities
These conditions would be so intol
cradle that s~tockraising on the publ
domain would practically be aban
doned. No prudent business maj
would subject himself to such regula
lions: The would refrain from inves,
ment ia an enterprise in which the pos
sible profit depended largely upon tn
caprice or sagacity OF a goveramen
official who had no personal interes
in it's success.
Those who oppose a change OF an
kind in the present method Of dispos
ing of the public domain take the pc
sition that western states are entitle
to the same treatment that has bee
accorded to otherscommunities IN tn
past. There never has been an
charge for the use Of the public Dc
main for grazing purposes, and it i
submitted that western settlers an
stockmen should be given privilege
similar to those enjoyed by the earl
residents OF states that are no,
thickly populated. The free use c
the public domain in those states TO
grazing purposes was no detrimental
TO the development OF their resources
nor did it obstruct the march Of prog
rees. The situation in the west i
similar to that Of years ago in tn
older settled states, and calls for tn
same kind Of treatment at the hand
OF the federal authorities.
VOTING FOR MORE TAXES.