, 1907-04-16
H DO THEY MEAN?"

pupiishSS luS loiioW luS.
Tho Wyoming Stock association.
composed OF the large cattle owners OF
the state, in its meeting at Cheyenne
last Wednesday adopted the following
resolutions:
BE 1t resolved. That the Wyoming
Stockgrowers' association in conven,
ton assembled does heartily endorse
and approve the plan of the national
administration to put the grazing and
~unoccupied public domain under lease
control OF the department Of agricui.
ture for grazing purposes, under some
system of individual lease, protecting
the interests of all concerned and work
ing an injury to none. And be it fur
Their %
Resolved, That it is the sense of
this association that congress should
fix a minimum price of one-half cent
per acre rental for these grazing lands
That actual residents of the grazing
states shall be appointed as officials
to govern these lands in connection
with an advisory board appointed from
the stock association
I'VE are at q loss to know Just what
the stock association meant by these
resolutions. They say they heartily
endorse the plan of the national admin
~istration to put the grazing and unoccu.
pied public domain under lease control
of the department OF agriculture
I'VE have not heard that the depart
ment Of agriculture proposed lease con
troll Of the public range On the con-
trary the N control proposed by
the department and particularly by
Mr.. Pinchot, is in no sense a leasing
system. The best possible evidence of
this are the words OF President Roose-
welt in his public land message to con.
gress Of February 18th, last, In which
he said:
Let me also again urge that legis-
lation be passed to provide for the gov
eminent control of the public pasture
Of the west on the same general prin.
cipies which now apply in the v
ment control of the forest reserves
There is no such thing as leasing
in the government control of the forest
reserves. The plan there is simply to
charge SO much per head for the stock
which each man grazes and to limit the
amount OF stock which can be grazed,
whereas the stock association in it's
resolutions endorse leasing and q
charge per acre.
1T is unfortunate that the gentle
men Of the stock association did not
make their position a little clearer SO
that people may know exactly what it
1t that they desire. Do they want an
annual fee system without control of
any specific area. which is the system
advocated by Mr.. Pinchot and the ad-
ministration, or do they want a leasing
system under which each man shall
have control Of a definite area? A sys'
tenn, by the way, which Mr.. Pinchot
and the administration opposes.
1.-THE two things are incompatible
and 1t is to be regretted that the asso
citation did no. put their resolutions in
form so that people might know ex
actly what their views are. Whatever
may have been in the minds of the
members OF the stock association, how
ever, whether u leasing system or al
annual permit fee system under the
control OF the department of agricul
ture. We are Of the opinion that there
are a great many people in Wyoming
who will not favor either the one OIL
the other.
The proposed range control under
an annual permit and fee system seems
to u not likely to have any friends al
all when fully understood; n while
the leasing system would be less OBJ
jectionable than the fee system, we be
neve 1t would be opposed by a,majority
of the people after careful thought and
deliberate consideration.
And it is only in this way that a
question of such vital importance to
u people should be handled. 1t is
not a mstteraon which to pass ambigu'
ous resolutions laden with bouquets
The important thing in this question
is not to commend or condemn the
views Of our public officials, but to get
at the, merit o. the question itself and
on that basis determine what would be
to the best welfare OF our state and
her people.
IF any change in our present sys.
tenn can be made that will actually
work to . greater benefit to the major
ity Of ripeople and the general vel
fare q our state, then the NewsJour'
MAJ will favor 1t regardless Of who II
may be. supporting or opposing In the
matter. 1t is not men. but measures
that We need to consider in this i'm
portant problem"
The foregoing r. unquestionably In
sptred by Hon. Frank W. Mondeli, al
whose home the NewsJournal Is pub
ushed- He has made q study Of al