, 1908-02-15
VIRGINIA DALE RANCHMAN CON-
CERNED AS A SMALL HOLDER
IN THE PENDING RANGE
QUESTION.
Leasing the only Solution Of Land Mat,
ter, Realty TO Be Leased to Actual
Settlers-Thousands of Acres I'm.
fit for Anything But Grazing and
This Is Being Taken From Settlers
by Devasting Bands of Sheep.
Virginia Dale. Colo. Eel. 10. 1908

Virginia Dale, Colo, Feb. 10, 1908.
To the Editor of The Republican.
Noticing the interest being taken i'll
the range question and being myself
directly interested in the leasing ques
ton as one of the small owners, | wish
to register my voice and vote in favor
of government control of the ranges.
| most heartily approve the policy OF
President Roosevelt and his admins
tration in dealing with the land ques-
ton, and commend the stand taken by
yourself and Senator Warren in be-
half of the small settler.
Is Only Solution.
1t is my judgment hal leasing is the
only solution Of the land question, al
lowing the land to be leased to actual
settlers, each to receive his proper,
tionate amount of such land as is
available for such purpose. There are
In this section thousands of acres Of
land that are unfit for anything except
grazing, but under present conditions
they are fast becoming of little benefit
to the small owners as the stock OF
the larger concerns come in and de-
YOUR the grasses, leaving nothing but
the Enclosed holdings to the settler.
Willing to Pay Fee.
We hear a great deal about the fees
the stockmen would have to pay under
a leasing system. 1t is a little singu-
lar that the big fellows feel SO much
sympathy for US smaller ones while
we are willing to stand the burden"
feeling that it is better for US to pay
q little and know that we have some
thing to rely on than to pay nothing
and trust to the generosity of the
range hog to share with us. If the
small fee the government would ex-
act would be sc burdensome, why Is it
that these same men who are pleading
our cause are SO eager to get control
of all the state land available that they
not only exhaust their own rights but
employ as many proxies as they can
get to secure leases for them? And
this is done, too, at a rental far in ex-
cess. Of what the government would
charge.
Prefers National Control.
National control is also preferable
to that of either state or district for
the reason that the nearer home you
get the more likely is there to be ia
voritism. l would prefer to take my
chances for an equal show for my just
deserts with a man at Washington who
owes his position to the people of the
entire nation rather than to a man at
home who has obligations Of friendship
or political favo!' to repay.
Has Felt Shoe Pincn.
l make this statement in spite of the
fact that | have felt the shoe pinch in
regard to the taking down of fences
from government land. | was among
the very first to be ordered by the gov
eminent to remove some fence which
Enclosed government land, while some
Of my neighbors still maintain theirs.
However, | believe the purpose of the
government is an honest one and that
the tardy ones will yet be made to
comply with the law. | have suffered
hardships by the removal of these
fences insomuch as not only the stock
of my neighbors has been permitted
10 Craze over my land before l could
~inclose them, and migratory herds
have come in and fattened upon the
range which by right should belong to
myself and neighbors. Nevertheless
the government should and doubtless
will put all on an equal footing in this
respect by requiring the removal of all
illegal Enclosures.
Would Have Equal Show.
With all the illegal fences down and
the privilege of leasing a just and pro-
portionate amount of government land
the rest of the range would take care
of itself. There are thousands of acres
of land in this section which in all
probability neve. will be homesteaded
as they are impossible of cultivation.
but they would be valuable to aid the
little settler who finds a few acres OF
tillable land along the creek bottoms
TO make a living. This he cannot do
If the rowing band of sheep are allow
ed to eat up the little grass there Is
on the range. His only salvation is
10 lease enough land to Craze his stock.
Doesn't Want the Earth.
! The small ranchman doesn't want