Gunnison news-champion., 1907-02-15
HOW THE PUBLIC LAND QUES-
TON Is HOUSNC THE WEST
Tkck I'D Tn Ad.iaissnn Ssppassess - ~d 4. Pss
nd Loasag Ply 4 PncAa I'D Ra..evsh

cosae thsck aud fssss = yust.lsc osulains
furHss on tbs fossss vs~rrve sAaaBs
and the propaesd Less.~g Il oss -
t,se sunAsaiaG pst,l,c laaes. ~
sopnstsas esests have ksea ~ 0ao-
Tag Il the pslsllc lssd. coH.sseO -
WssAiHGsoO, t.rfase which ~ pauni-
dsst and bssr~s Il tossssry ps11s6
the Bsrkest lss.sas bsil SSnriso
ss~ssAess ssA Istsss~ by kansssh
hsve srNsA sks nssttss v,sh ~ -
,snscass. II coaev~s.. Aoosass,
usssi bst,,r opSssssioa " AesslaVia0
~ ons caAHsrssnsa sfssr sssAAsr
hssrS frosa ttse cssssssa q keass. Ob~s
IN northwestern Colosssao @~saia0
II ssn,kmea are t-ssag hold st wAisA
thoss present pledge themsrlwss -
TO pay . GvsziAg tax sad TO peg -
enpeHses Of thaae II their ssseoAsss
who may be srrss,sd. In Ssat .
m,shty revSl.ion Of fssrliax is swssp-
ing the state aud brinx,Rg s~s'A
papers ~ the Ikssver Repstslscas
snd similar administration s.P,nss-
ers into line with demands III tks
people Of the west and the nesds Il
our country.
We regret that space does not 81
low us 10 give more than . brief -
pert Of these movements or 70 qSaeo
at length the columns OF in,ervse~s,
speeches and r~port Of meeti"as
which this office has ON Gle TIE
action Of cattlemen at Rifle on Nus-
day was sensational in the extFsass
and shows the determination Of thoss
sturdv Americans. In q meetiaG
described by eve witnesses as The
greatest convention of home bail,iesu
ever gathered in that part Of IT,
state. the question WAS thoroughly
thre~hed ost, fosest s~pervisos, FaRch-
~ss, faswser s~d sowssropas saAisD
par ISese sFe sosRe u the sesols-
,ioas adopted.
Whereas, After . year experience
with the permit system m TIE forest
rcserves of the western slope Of Colo
rado, the cattle owneS sad farmers
who have t'een paying less for graz
Jag their stock upon said reserves
have been unsble n find that they
have receivsd any bene6t in return
for the money they have paid the
government, snd
Where's, Said roserves are Nm
isnced and cattle drift upoa the re-
serves whether they have paid fses
or not, and
Whereas. The payment OF ices for
grazing spon the forest reserves is,
in effect, an additional tax upon our
industry without any adequate re
turn therefore, and we deny the right
Of the government 20 exact u fee,
under the present law, therefore he
10
Resolved, BY the Grand River
Stock Growers Association, delegates
from the Roaring Fork * Eagle
River Stock Growers association and
other stockmen and formers in mass
meeting assembled, That until the
United States forest service shall
fence the reserves OF until the feder-
al courts shall render a decision to
the effect that we have no recourse
but to pay said fees, we shall decline
to take out any permits or TO pay
any fees for our stock upon said re-
serves.
Fred i. Johnson. secretary Of the
Colorado Cattle and Horse Growers
association was present and said he
had been IAN advocate of leasing but
had experienced a change of heart
and urged the s'ockmen 10 maintain
their position at all hazards This
convention of Grand river stockmen
also adopted strong resolutions con-
demning the proposed leasing law or
any change in our land laws at the
present time Stockmen Of the
White river around Meeker have this
week taken similar action and the
Roaring Fork association meets at
Basalt on the 22nd Seventy FIVE
cattlemen at Rife signed an agree
ment as follows:
We the undersigned each and all
of US hereby agree not to pay fee
for grazing upon the forest reserves
and if any Of u. have applied for a
permit. We shall refuse to accept the
same; and we further agree that any
expense that may be incurred by
reason OF arrest or prosecution Of
any signer Of this agreement for the
defense Of the same. shall be pro-
rated according to the number Of
stock owned, to be collected BY the
secretary Of the association in whose