, 1907-05-07

senate containing q provision relative
to the control of the public range
which was VIGOROUSLY the result OF
Mr.. Pinchot's insistence and activity.
providing that THE secretary of ag-
riculture may organize grazing dis
tricts and regulate and control graz.
ing upon unappropriated. unreserved
lands OF the United States under such
rules and regulations as he may pre-.
scribe; may issue permits or grant
leases for periods not exceeding ten
years and charge and collect reason;
able fees for grazing thereon"
This latter was the legislation which
was so vigorously contested in the sem
ate, and finally went out on q point Of
order.
Mr.. Pinchot, about December is, and
on various occasions, expressed to me
in most vigorous language his unalter-
able opposition to any sort or kind Of
leasing proposition. and clearly out
lined his idea of controlling the range
as CARING in the forest reserves is now
controlled. And as the legislation pro-
posed in the agricultural appropriation
bill granted absolute control to the
mits or grant leases there could be
little question but what the issuance
of permits would be the plan adopted
In the main, II not exclusively. Only
the other day Mr.. Pinchot, in his letter
to the secretary Of the Wyoming Stock
growers association, was very careful
to refer to the policy he advocates as
control Of grazing upon the public
lands under the authority of the de-
partment of agriculture" And | chal
lenge any II to quote any u~tterances
of Mr.. Pinchot, who has been the
spokesman of the administration in
this matter, or of any one else who
has spoken for the administration, in
favor of a proposition for the leasing
of public lands for grazing purposes.
1 desire to emphasize my opposition
to legislation of any kind or character
giving to any department of the gov
eminent absolute control ove the use
of the public lands for grazing pur-
poses. In other words against the
kind OF legislation contained in The
Burkett bill and in the amendment. to
the agricultural appropriation bill TO
which I have referred, which were the
only two propositions of legislation Oh
the subject presented to the late con-
gress. And 1 should be as strongly
opposed TO granting such absolute con-
troll over grazing on the public lands
to a government department II 1t pro.
posed leasing the land instead Of grant
ing permits for the right to Craze, as
I believe to be the intent of the depart.
ment of agriculture.
If it should be wise to attempt an
experiment Of government leasing of
a limited portion Of the public lands,
the limitation as to the aggregate area
to be leased the maximum which any
one person might secure, and the con-
ditions of tenure, should be matters
of legislation and not left to the con-
troll of a bureau officer at a desk fif-
teen hundred miles from the land.
II it is argued that it Is exceedingly
difficult to draft such legislation as
would be satisfactory to the interests
affected and in a manner not to inter-
fere with settlement and development,
that very fact should raise doubts as
to the wisdom or ACCESSIBILITY of EN-
barking on such a policy, for If those
entirely familiar with conditions can
not formulate satisfactory details OF
such a policy they can not certainly be
safely left to the within and will OF
bureau officials without responsibility
to the people vitality interested, and
my experience in the discussion OF the
details of proposed leasing legislation
in the past has raised the doubts ex-
pressed in my letter of February 3,
above quoted, Of the ACCESSIBILITY of
venturing upon even a limited and
clearly defined legislative policy OF
government leasing, for fear that it
would tend to discourage settlement,
the improvement of land and develop
ment Of the country. The more I study
the question the more am inclined to
believe it the part of wisdom to adj
here to our time honored policy Of con-
sidering the government ownership of
lands a temporary condition to be sue
ceeded as speedily as is consistent
with the highest and best use Of the
lands of individual or local ownership
and control. Yours respectfully,
F. W. MONDELL.