The Colorado statesman., 1908-01-25
LEASING PLAN
is IND0RSED
LIVE STOCK CONVENTION FAVORS
FEDERAL CONTROL OF THE
RANGE.
VERY LARGE MAJORITY
COMMITTEE FAVoRS BURKETT
BILL WHICH PROVIDES MUCH
LOCAL CONTROL.

Denver.-By a majority that was a
surprise to every officer 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 the. ma
jority resolution offered by the COM
mittee on resolutions, stood 3S61a for
and only 321a against. The most earn
est advocates of the policies of Presi-
dent Roosevelt with reference to range
control were surprised at the extent of
the endorsement.
Following is in part the report of the
committee on resolutions, as adopted:
your committee begs to call attten-
ton of the members of this associa-
ton to the objects of this (the BurketD
bill, and while doing so, your commit
tee desires to say that it is not welded
to specific language, but reports the
bill in the language in which it is
printed with the amendments we have
suggested as embodying the principles
that we believe in and giving to them
correct expression. The objects Of the
bill comprehensively stated are:
"First-To place the public lands of
the United States suitable for grazing
under the control of the secretary of
agriculture for the purpose of protect
ing, maintaining and perpetuating such
grazing lands to the end of securing
the greatest beneficial use therefrom.
"Second-The law cannot possibly
be administered without investing the
secretary of agriculture with a reason
able discretion in matters of details,
but this bill limits that discretion so
far as practicable and vests the large
portion of the management in the peo-
pie actually using the lands.
'The maximum grazing fee is fixed
at four cents per acre, and the min
imum at one-half cent per acre; but
the fact that the maximum of four
cents is named should not be taken as
any Indication that four cents would
be charged, except in those few local
tiles where that would be entirely
within the reasonable limit. This
maximum and minimum fee is inserted
as a limitation upon what may be
charged, and yet it will be observed
that the bill provides that the fees for
grazing shall be based upon the value
of the land in each locality.
| "Third-The second section of the
/ bill we consider to be the. most i'm
| portant because it contains the funda-
mental idea of local control of all those
matters wherein the people themselves
best know what should be done and
it is accordingly provided that users
| of the land may select committee of
| four, who, with the officer appointed
by the Agricultural Department, con-
stitute an executive board, which, as
you will observe, has charge of prac-
tically all matters of local concern or
that could be appropriately referred
to it. 1t would scarcely be possible
to give to a local board more power
that does this section.
Your committee believes that it is
desirable to secure the largest amount
of local control, which can be Sc
cured without the destruction of ulti-
mate responsibility of the Agricultural
Department charged with administer
ing the law, and therefore, it is pro-
vided in this section that if differ
ences shall exist between a majority
of the board and the officer in charge,
the 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 a decis-
ion of the board.
eve think, therefore, that the rights
of every person are as fully protected
as would be possible under the system
which this bill proposes; and that with
out favoritism as between the owners
of different sorts of livestock.
"Fourth-The bill is framed on the
| thoOrv and rroyidne n
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 are 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-
hcial use of 1t and sufficient prefer
ences to maintain his family"