The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-04-17

seriously damaging the national for
est range and public sentiment fayors
such action, the supervisor may, up
on petition of a majority Of the per-
mittees of a grazing district, allow the
horses to be gathered and disposed of
according TO the state or territorial
laws. In such cases the forest ser
vice will, upon recommendation from
the supervisor cooperate in the con-
struction of corrals or fences for the
purpose of capturing the horses.
Forest officers may drive unper-
mitted horses from the national for
es,s at any time, but If the owners
of the horses are known and owner
ship acknowledged the owner should
be allowed to adjust the matter by
paying the grazing fee. If he re-
fuses to apply for a permit, then
trespass change should be brought
against him and the case conducted
according to instructions.
Unbranded horses may be hand
led according to the state estray laws.
but forest officers can not be allow
ed to gather such horses for the pur-
pose of using or selling them, nor
can they be allowed to collect any
remuneration from any person for
corralling unclaimed horses. The poll
cy of the forest service will be there
fore, to cooperate with the stock
men Of the state or territory author
tiles when they take the initiative
in disposing OF wild horses in the ma
tional forests but the present laws and
regulations do not admit Of indepen-
dent action by the forest service.
The wild horse problem is only one
of the many which stockmen have TO
contend with the government is try
ing in one way or another to solve
on the ranges of the national forests.
Predatory animals. such as wolves,
coyotes, mountain lions and wildcats,
do thousands of dollars worth OF
damage to stock each year in all
parts Of the country. On some ran
ges forest officers have to contend
with rustlers, who sometimes sue
coed in stealing the great part of the
stock which the predatory animals do
not kill. Poisonous plants are anoth-
er nuisance which give the stockmen
considerable trouble in many parts Of
the country.
Uncle Sam has always shown a dis
position to cooperate with the stock
men in combating these nuisances;
in fact he is doing better than merely
meeting the stockmen half way in the
work. On many of the national for
est ranges for the last year rangers
and guards have been assigned to the
work of hunting and trapping with the
sole aim Of killing off the animals
that prey upon stock. The work has
met with marked success, and hun
dreds of wolves andcoyotes have sue
stumbled TO the bullets and the poison
of the hunters. Each animal killed
means a decided saving to the sheep
industry, for it is estimated that one
wolf averages about $1,000 damage each
year.
Forest officers are cooperating with
the stock associations to stop the
stealing of live stock and run the
rustlers out of the tountry. The war
on poisonous plants has been carri-
ed on for more than a year by the
forest service, in cooperation with
the bureau of plant industry, and
while the investigations have just
begun, it is already seen that their
growth can be checked in many
states.
If it is possible to check the wild
horse nuisance as easily as the other
troubles which have bothered the
stock interests both the stockman
and forest officers will find the
Western ranges rid Of another serious
drawback with helps to retard pro-
gress in the business.