The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1907-02-21
THE RANCE
PROBLEM
~One of the Most I'm
portant Questions
at Present.
Leasing Season Has About
Out1ivsd Ats Usefulness
In the West.

OF greater Importance than the forest
seserve problem, is the division of the
public land in the west for grazing pur-
poses. The commission composed of
Western stockmen who were summoned
to Washington to assist in framing a
measure to systematize the control of
the public grazing land in manner
that would do the greatest good to the
greatest number. accomplished nothing.
and the matter will probably rest for
another year.
The main reason for the failure of the
parties in Washington to accomplish
any legislation, was the selishness
which controlled the actions of both the
cattle and sheepmen, although the cat
tlemen had the right on their side, for it
is we'll known fact that the nomadic
sheepman, the one who lives in . wagon
is more of pest to this country than
the 17-year locust is to Kansas.
The cattlemen asked for leasing sys-
tenn, and the sheepmen were opposed to
!. it. and vet from the standpoint of the
smaller stockman. and homesteader-
the ones President Roosevelt is especial
ly anxious should be protected-sither
method advocated at Washington would
probably prove Of greater benefit to the
large rather than the small stockman.
II the range is left open the man or
company with thousands of head of
stock, has all the best of it, He may
turn his cattle on the range, and by
sheer force Of numbers keep it well eat
en- off, the smaller man taking what he
can get he can, and does take advan
tage Of the service intended by the small
stockman to go to the increase of his
own bunch of cattle, and this is one of
the hardships that is most CALLING to the
small stockman.
However as it is not the open range
problem that will have to be dealt with
it will be as well to discuss the merits
or dement's of the leasing system. The
last meeting of the Colorado Cattle and
Horse Growers association in Denver
advocated leasing system. and the
stockmen who were summoned to
Washington were also in favor of leas-
ing system, but it is certain that a diff
ferent system than the one now used
by the state will be the outcome Of the
present agitation. And it is equally GER
tain that any system of the division Of the
public range based on other than the
allotment of the land to actual settlers
the cultivation and productiveness of
the land being taken into consideidera-
tion-will work hardship oh the very
men the government wishes to protect,
the small stockman and the homestead
or. the men who settle up, cultivate and
civilize the western country
In the North Park the range is becom-
ing more crowded each year, and the
main sufferer from this crow,ling is the
stockman with comparatively small
bunch OF cattle. No great hardship has
resulted as yet, but under the present
division of the range the inducements
to new settlers to go into the cattle bust
ness are not particularly heavy. in fact
the settling up of the country is looked
upon with considerable disfavor by the
large oattlemen, as each homestead or
desert claim taken up means further
curtailmant of the range
One Of the defects of the present leas-
ing system is that it allows man to
lease land in such way as to get the
benefit from several times as many acres
Of unleased land as he has leased land,
to the exclusion Of others. While this
method is condemned. it is necessary in
order that the stockmen may break even.
The fee of five cents an acre on grazing
land Is exhorbitant unless the lease can
be secured in such way as to allow the
lessee the use Of an equal or double the
acreage Of Unbiased land.
What the Park needs is settlers, men
who will cultivate The land and create
new industries, men who will not have
vast herds Of cattle but many small
herds. The Park is going to be great
dairy country, as we'll as producer of