Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-01-31
LEASING PLAN Z.
IS IND0RSED
LIVE STOCK CONVENTION FAvoRs
FEDERAL CONTROL OF THE
RANGE.
VERY LARGE MAJORITY
COMMITTEE FAvoRs sURkETT
BILL WHICH PROVIDES MUCH
LOCAL CONTROL.

LOCAL CON hOSs
Denver.-By a majority that was a
surprise to every ofiicer and delegate
present, the American National Live
Stock Association Wednesday went on
record In favor Of government control
and regulation Of the public range.
land leasing. etc. The vote on tho ma
.ori,y resolution offered by the com
ni,,ee on resolutions. stood 3s6s ~
and only 32h against. The most earn
est advocates OF the policies Of Pres!-
dent Roosevelt with reference TO range
cont.o! were surprised at the extent OF
the endorsement.
Following is In part the report OF tho
committee on resolutions. a. adopted:
your committee begs to call sttten-
ton Of tho members OF this sssocia-
ton to the objects Of this (the Burketp
bill, and while doing 80. your commit
tee desires to say that II II not welded
to specific language. but reports tho
bill in the language In which u In
printed with the amendments ve have
suggested rs embodyiuE the principles
that We believe In and giving to them
coerec, expression. The objects OF tho
bill compsehensiveiy stated are:
"rirs,-To place the public lands OF
tho United States suitable for sfaxins
under the control Of the secretary OF
agriculture for the purpose OF protect
ing. maintaining and perpetuating such
IL k. <,H -
the greatest beneficial use thercfrom.
"Second-The law cannot possibly
be administered without investing tho
secretary Of agriculture with . reason
able discretion In matters Of details.
but this bill limits that discretion so
far a. practicable and vests the large
portion Of the management IN the peo-
plc actually using tho lands.
The maximum grazing fee II nxcd
at four cents per acre. and the min
imum at one-half cent per acre; but
tho fact that the maximum Of four
cents 10 named should not be taken as
any indication that four cents would
b. charged. except in those fcw local
tiles where that would DO entirely
within tho reasonable limit. This
maximum and minimum fec 10 inseg6Nd
a. . Limitation upon what may -
charged, and yet II will be observed
that tho bill provides that the fees for
grazing shall be based upon tho value
Of the land in each locality.
'Third-Thc second section Of tho
bill We consider to be the. most i'm
portant because II contains the funda-
mental idea OF local control OF all those
matters wherein tho people themselves
best know what should be done and
It IL accordingly provided that users
Of the land may select n committee OF
four. who. with the oficer appointed
by the Agricultural Department. con-
stitute m executive board. which. as
you will observe. has charge OF prac-
tically all matters Of local concern or
that could bo appropriately referred
to II. It would scarcely be possible
to give to q local board moro power
that does this section.
''Your committee believes that Il is
desirable to secure the largest amount
Of local control. which can be &C.
cured without the destruction OF ulti-
mate responsibility Of the Agricultural
Department charged with administer
ing the law, and therefore, II Is pro-
vided in this section that II differ
ences shall exist between q majority
Of the board and the offcer In charge.
tho same shall be referred to the sec
retary Of agriculture. to be adjusted by
him. and the important provision Is in
serted that any interested party shall
have the right to appeal from q decis-
ion Of the board.
1--WE think, therefore. that the rights
OF every person are rs fully protected
as would be possible under the system
which this bill proposes: and that vi J.
out favoritism as between the owners
Of different sorts Of livestock.
"Fourth-The bill Is framed on tho
theory and expressly provides that 1t
shall in no wise interfere with the ac-
quisition Of the title to the public
lands Of the United States under any
Of the laws by which they may now
be acquired.
"All Of the laws pertaining to water
rights arc by the express provisions
Of the bill safeguarded, according to
the various laws Of the states or ter
ritories.
"The executive committee proposes
= to amend the bill SO that all net
moneys will be paid to the states for
the counties for the benefit of public
schools and roads, which meets with
our hearty approval
"Fifth-It will protect the range
from overstocking and tend to greater
harmony.
above all. from the standpoint of
public good. It will encourage the es-
tablishment of homes upon the public
lands because when the land is fenced,
as the bill provides, permanent hab-
itation may be safely established with
the assurance Of the party who takes
up homestead. that he will get bene-
ficial use Of It and sufficient prefer
ences to maintain his family"