, 1908-02-04
Underwood. Wyo., Feb. 3. 19Os

10 the Editor OF The Republican.
Dear Sir:-Referring to the letter
which was published in your valuable
paper on Tuesday, January 2Sth, sign,
ed by Mr.. E. j.. Bell, purporting to
be on the land laws and the actions
of the American National Live Stock
association at the convention recently
held in Denver, which letter is ad-
dressed to the bankers, merchants
and business men, including sheep,
cattle and horsemen, especially those
who are interested in the building up
of the state they live in as one of
the delegates from Wyoming to this
convention, l desire = reply to Mr..
Bells statement fors Car that some
stock growers who mA not be in act,
ual touch with the facS may take the
letter written by Mr.. Bell seriously. :!
shall not take very much space in your
paper because what MI. Bell has writ
ten can be briefly answered.
Changing Burkett Bill.
In the first place, as regards the &C
tons of the American National Live
Stock association, it was decided by
the executive committee that, in re-
gard to these grazing lands, the quick
est way to get at the proposition was
to take up the bill introduced by Sen.
ator Burkett in the United States sen
ate ON December 21st, 1907. and make
such changes and alterations in that
bill as would suit the various needs
in the different states. This PROPOSE
ton was first handled by the grazing
lands committee of the said associa,
ton, the recommendations from which
were the basis of all of the different
actions, and as Mr.. Bell refers so much
to Texas, it might be well to know
that there were no members from Tex,
as on the grazing committee.
Some Recommendations.
In brief, the recommendations of the
grazing committee were to the effect
that fencing privileges should be stip.
ulated plainly in the bill; that a maxi,
mum and minimum fee should be stat
ed, the said committee recommending
a minimum of one-half cen per acre
and a maximum Of four cents per acre:
furthermore, that power should be Civ
en- to the local board of control, and
that grazing districts should be estab-
lshed regardless of state lines, when
the natural features demanded it. The
Burkett bill has full pIptecton of
homestead rights and l will quote from
it as follows:
Section Quoted.
Section 81 That lands within such
grazing districts shall be continually
subject to homestead entry and to 9th
er appropriation and disposal under all
public land laws now existing or which
shall hereafter be enacted" Further.
more, That no grazing permits issued
under this act shall prohibit settlers,
~prospectors and others from entering
upon such grazing districts for all prop
er n lawful purposes" etc.
Suggestions Were Approved.
The report of the grazing commit,
tee was SEN to the executive commit
tee, composed of members from the
various states, which again desire to
call the attention Of Mr.. Bell to the
fact that it contained but two gentle.
men from Texas, both of whom have
large interests outside of that state.
This committee consisted of thirty,
four of the most prominent stockgrow,
ers in the western country. After
thoroughly debating n going over
this bill, the suggestions of the graz.
ing committee were approved in the
main, with some additions, and the re,
suit of the work of this committee was
referred finally to the committee on
resolutions, appointed from the con-
~vention of stock growers without re-
gard especially to their position on
this question or from whence they
came.
Only One Lone Star Man.
And, again, Mr.. Bell may be distress
ed to know that there was but one
gentleman from Texas on this commit
tee of resolutions, namely, the secreta,
ry of the Texas Cattle Raisers' asso-
citation, whose members own a great
many cattle in other states than Tex,
as. The report of the committee on
Resolutions on this Burkett bill with
Continued On page 81