, 1908-01-29
SMALL sToCKMANs STATEMENT

SMALL STOCkMAN'S STATEMENT.
In this issue The Republican pub
lishes the statement of Mr.. Hans Oh
son, president of the Albany County
Cattle and HorsegroweFs' association,
While 1t is the expression of a par
tisan in the range controversy, 1t
comes from n man who has been
known to the people of this county for
n quarter of n century. He has been
his statements may be taken for facts.
Without bombast, ~high-sounding ad-
jectives or expietives, he tells a simple
story of the manner in which the range
in the vicinity of the Big and Little
Laramie rivers has been managed, and
finally how the small men took refuge
under the protection Of Uncle Sam In
the forest reserve. He shows how the
cattle on the plains have dwindled
from 5000 head to two small punches.
And above all he shows that the treat
ment of the stockmen by the forest
reserve officers has met with the APP
proval OF those who are not insistently
clamoring for more and more.
The policy of the administration in
the management of the forest reserves
was severely criticised and condemned
by the Albany County Wool Growers
--.-...-, Aaa Tho rfntA nGGnntnttnn
but they did not set forth specific
grievances. In the absence of a posi-
tive statement of facts from the large
sheep men, it must be concluded that
they oppose the management of the
forests for the reason that the small
mar is given just as much right as the
large man; in fact, the motto is, I'VE
would rather aid a poor man to make
II living than n rich man to make a pro
fit" If any preference is given it is
to the struggling ranchman who has
q few head of stock.
The Republican is willing to stand
for that doctrine and the people of this
state can afford to stand for it. 1t is
useless to invite people to come to
our state unless they are given an OPP
p%ortunity to make a living.
There is no need for regulation or n
system of range control for the protec-
ton of men who control from ten thou
sand to two hundred thousand
acres of land. They will take are
of themselves without any laws to
give them more land. What is de-
manded is a law that will make it pos
sible for a small man to get a foothold,
to get enough land to support a fam
lily. If a homesteader could secure
control of our sections of land he
could make a nice start in the sheep
business. -Four sections will support
500sheep and half that number will give
ample income to support a family.
With such a tract securely fenced, a
small sheepman would need no herd.
er. He could divide his range so as
to have pasture for winter and sum
mer and it could be so managed that
it would improve from year to year.
Under such circumstances the lands
of the state would become immensely
more valuable, the towns would grow
and the population of the state at large
would double and treble at a rapid
rate.
A lease law, granting this privilege
would not interfere with dry farming,
nor any other farming. 1t would be a
distinct aid to it. No lands eed be
leased except those that were purely
grazing lands. But there is no use of
discussing the farmer or the home.
steader with the men who are at pres
ent dominating immense tracts of the
public domain. They have no use for
either. A great share of their lives
has been devoted to keeping home
steaders from making settlement and
the leopard will not change its spots.
The prosperity of the state is bound
up in the men who are struggling to
make a living for themselves and their
families. To them We must look for
the development of our agricultural
resources; to them we must look for
added population and for support for
our cities and towns.
The columns of The Republican are
open to any rangeman to discuss this
momentous question, no matter what
his position may be, but in the discus
sion it hopes that the question, not
men, will be considered.