The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-12-04


themselves are defective. Three years
ago public lands commission was APP
pointed To acrutinizc the law, and de.
fccts and recommend remedy Their
examination specifically showed the cx.
istcnre Of great fraud upon the public
domain, ana their recommendations for
changes IN the law were made with the
daelsn OF conserving the natural re-
sources OF every part OF the public lands
bN putting Il 10 los best use, Especial
attention was called 10 the prevention OF
settlement by the passage OF great areas
or pubic land into the hands OF few
mon, and to the enormous waste caused
w unrestricted grazing upon tho open
range The recommendation OF the pub
! lie lands commission are sound for they
1 are especially In the interest Of the actual
4 home maker; and where the small home
4 maker can not at present utilize the land
4 they provide that the government shall
korp control of It so that 1t may not be
\ monopolized by a few men The con-
I gress has not vet acted upon these recon-
! mendatons; but theg arc SO just and
/ proper, so essential to our national well
4 fare that ! feel confident II the con-
greas will take time to consider them,
4 that they win ultimately be adopted
! Some such legislation as that proposed
! Is essential In order to preserve the great
/
IRE unit for cultivation under present
methods and are valuable OILY for the
forage which they supply. These stretches
amount IN all 10 some 00000o0 acres,
and are onon to the free grazing of cat
tie. sheep. horses and goats without re-
sriction, Such a system, or rather such
lack Of svEtcrn. means that the range lis
not so much used as wasted BY abuse.
AS the west settles the fange becomes
on Va ORG yaJ "a
can not be used to advantage unless II is
fenced, for fencing Is the only way by
which To keep IN check the owners or
nomad fpclSs which roam hither and
thither. utterly destroying the pastures
and leaving waste behind SO that their
presence Is Incompatible with the pres
ence Of home-makers. The existing
fences are all Illegal Some Of them rep
resent tho improper exclusion of actual
settlers, actual ho1ne-makers, from terrl-
tory which Is usnrped by great cattle
companies. Some of them represent
what Is in itself q proper effort to use
the range for those upon the land and
to present its use by nomadic outsiders
All these fences, those that are hurtful
and those that are beneficial, are alike
Illegal and must come down But 1t is
an outrage that the law should neces-
state such action on the part of the ad-
ministrauon, The unlawful fencing Of
public lands for private grazing must lie
stopped but the necessity which occa-
stoned it must be provided for The fed.
eral government should have control Of
the range, whether by permit or lease, rs
local necessities may determine Such
control could secure the great benefit Of
legitimate fencing, while at the same
time securing and promoting The settle
ment OF the country In some places II |
may be that the tracts Of range adjacent
to tho homesteads nf actual settlers |
should be allotted to them seyerally or
in common for the summer grazing of |
their stock. Elsewhere II may be that a |
lease system would serve the purpose:
the leases to be temporary and subject |
to the rights OF settlement, ana the |
amount charged being large enough |
merely TO permit OF Tie efficient and |
beneficial control Of the range by the |
government, and or the payment to the |
county Of the equivalent Of what II would
receive in taxes. The destruc- /
ton of the public range will continue I'M |
til some such laws as these are enacted I
Fully to prevent the fraud in the public I
lands which, through the Joint action Of
the interior department and the depart
ment Of Justice, we have been endeavor-
ing 20 prevent, there must be further leg
islatipn, and especially a sufficient APP /
TO permit the department of |
the interior to examine certain classes OF
entries on the ground before they pass
into private ownership The government
should Port with its title only to the
actual lionne-maker. not to the profit
maker who does not care 10 make
inme our mime object is to secure tho
tights ana guard the interests of thu
small ranchlnaH, the man who plows
ind niteNca hly for himself II ie this
mall rarchrian. this actual settler and
iome maker, WHO in The long run is most
,urt nv permitting thofts OF the public
and "a Whatever form.
Timber Famine Near
Drastic Action Necessary.
Optimism is good characteristic. but
{ carried 10 an excess 1t becomes fool.
,hlegs We are prone to speak of the
c%m'ycrs of this country as incxhnusu-
he. ms Is no, so. The mineral wealth |
< the country, the coal iron oil gas.
nd tho like, does not reproduce Itself.
nd therefore is certain to be exhausted
and wastefulness In dealing
-ith 1t to-day means that out descend
mis- win feel The exhaustion generation
8 two before they otherwise would But
hero are certain other forms of waste
Inch could be entirely stopped-the
asle ~ soil ~ washing for instance,
hich Is umons the most dangerous OF ali
'a-'c3 now in progress in the United
,ates, Is easily preventable so thar this
resent enormous loss OF fertility IL en-. :
rely unnecessary. The preservation or
placement Of TIE forests Is one Of the 8
.osi important means of preventing this
So. we have made beginning in for ,
q Preservation, but IL Is only he ,
minis At present numbering IL tho
'urih greatest industry IN the United
atcs auf yet SO rapid hgs boon the
ne or cShaiE ton 81 timber IN the T,
nltcd States iu tho past. ana 40 rfp'ilr
the remainder heine evh1uated. t2f
10 country - uugucstiona hly ou tbe
rye Gr timber famine which wul no ,
j. in "ferl household i'm the lpnd =
here has air.adt boon n riaa in the
leo ~ lImbcr hu there Ia certain 60 ho !.
more rapid and heavier ri-o 10 tho fu- y
re. Tho present annual zumpOon of !.
mher g. cegi-.nir thrro tNncs aH great r
the annual 4rouih. aud n the coa- !,
ripHor ard growth continue un- =
Iaurcd. practically ~ cur lumber VIII y
eNhstsicd in nuoiher generation. :
bile lors hcfcrs the limit 10 complete 4,
hausuon o. rcsrhcd the growing =
arcity viii make itself felt IN many =,
ighunE WAYS Upon our national well =,
re- About - per rcut. OF Our fprrsicd ! ~
lritory Us unw reserved IN nst.cull Tor
~ bat these Do not Include tho mosf :,
luabic timber lands. ana in any eNcut ! y
. proportion is too small TO expect that 4
e reserves can accomplish more Than 4.
mitigation ~ fhe trouble which Is n