, 1908-06-08
M0NDELL
TO OLSON
WYOMING CONGRESSMAN Ac.
KNoWLEDoEs RECEIPT OF Pc
TITioNs FROM RESIDENTS
OF THIS COUNTY.
Reiterates His Views Upon the Range
Question, Insisting that p~rop0slt'o"
Has Assumed Vast Proportions
and That Correct solution of Prob.
lem Has Not Beer Hit Upon in
Any of the Bill. Before Congress.

Washington, D. c., May %, 1908.
Mr.. Hans Olson, President of the
Albany County Cattle and Horse Grow,
ers Association, Laramie, Wyo. My
dear Mr.. Olson: / have the honor to
acknowledge. receipt Of your letter of
May 9th enclosing a number of petit
tons signed by ranchmen and stock
growers of Albany county. l notice
that the first and most numerously
signed petitions is as follows:
TO the honorable members of the
senate and house of representatives of
the United States:
Whereas, the conditions Of the pub
lie range in this section is deteriorat
ing so rapidly that 1t will be only a
short time until these lands will be of
little use, II any, to the residents on
account of o~vergrazfng and the EN-.
croachment of nomad fl0cks and herds.
Therefore. We the undersigned do
earnestly petition the national con-
gress to pass some law that will en-
able us to lease the grazing lands ly-
ing adjacent to our ranches in some
equitable manner in that we NAV be
able to maintain the individuality of
our herds; that We may improve the
carrying capacity Of our ranges: that
we may have protection from the own
ers of nOmad flockB and herds who
live in other states or Counties and
who do not attempt to own or improve
or Increase the taxable area of our
section"
Three of the petitions are as fol.
lows:
we, the undersigned ranchmen and
stockgrowers of Albany County, Wyo-
ming, do heartily endorse and approve
the plan OF the national administration
to classify and put the grazing and un-
occupied p0bhc4and under government
control, and do hereby earnestly petit
ton the congress of the United states
to pass some law that will place the
public grazing lands Of this county in
some OF the departments for admins.
lease, with privilege of fencing In or
der that the freebooter may be prop
erly protected from migratory stock
owners; and that all leases be issued
for terms Of not less than ten years,
and that the freeholders shall have the
preference in leasing the lands lying
adjacent to their freeholds. That
these lands be classified with the end
in view Of making the rentals as low
as possible, and not to exceed a maxi.
mum of two cents per acre; and that
all moneys that may be left from such
fees after the expenses of adminIsLra-
ton have been paid shall be returned
to the state for the benefit Of the
schools In the county in which 1t &C
crues. That all the local control pos
sible be vested in advisory boards for
each administration by the division of
responsibility"
AS will be noted, these petitions sug-
gest two distinct plans for providing
the use and control of lands used for
grazing purposes. The first petition
proposing a law under which congress
shall provide directly for the leasing
of lands. The other petitions propos-
ing the system commonly known as
federal range control" with some sus-
gestions as to the manner of admins
tration, the object sought, however, l
assume, practically the same; to wit,
to give those owning lands the prefer
ence right to the use of the public
land lying adjacent to their farms and
ranches for gazing purposes. l wish
to assure you that these petitions will
have my careful consideration and at
tention
AS l have heretofore written you and
as you have been advised through the
public press, the consideration of the
questions involved was not pressed at
the present session of congress, by
mutual agreement between the repre-
sentatives of those holding divergen,
views on these questions and at the
initiative and suggestion Of the rep
resentatives of the American National
Livestock association.
/ feel that it is scarcely necessary
for me to remind you that the consij-
Grafton of the question of the use of
public lands for grazing purposes, af-
fecting as it does, so vast an area and
such a multiplicity of conditions, not
only involves consideration Of a wide
range of allied questions relating to
settlement and development, but by
reason of that fact, brings to light
widely divergent opinions, not only in
our state but to a very great extent, in
all of the other western states.
1 am one Of those who believe that
the settlement of the question of pro-
tecting the wner OF patented land in
the enjoyment Of the lands adjacent
to their farms and ranches which are
only fit for grazing purposes. has been
rendered vastly more difficult and prob
lemaucal by the propaganda in
favor of a system Of federal range con-
troll; which. if inaugurated in the form
in which it Is generally proposed,
would in my opinion. be OF doubtful
benefit to small stockmen and ranch
men, while it would undoubtedly be
highly beneficial to large and powerful
stock interests and particularly those