Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-22
DEMANDS FOR PERMITS EXCEED
CAPACITY
Government Tries to Provide for
Everybody by curtaiing Privi-
Iege of Big Feeders and
Helping the Small

crease every year. The new settler.
locating the country adjacent to thu
national forests are nearly all desirou:
of entering the stock business, either
as cattle raisers or sheep growers.
In order that they may more sue
cessfully handle their stock, they apply
to the forest service for a permit to en-.
ter the nearest forest, which, very like.
ly, is already stocked to Its fullest ca.
pacity. The question then before the
supervisor, with whom the applications
are filed, Is how to accommodate these
new settlers without injury to those
who are already occupying the ranges
All Parties Complain
1t has been the consistent policy OF
the service to take care of the new
men just as far as possible without toe
greatly restricting those already using
the ranges, and in order to do this II
has been necessary to reduce the num-
her allowed the larger man on pre-
rata basis in order to give the new mar
an opportunity. These reductions arc
only made after a full consideration OF
the conditions surrounding each permit
and every effort is made to carry out
the system with as little injury to the
individual stockman as is possible.
The result of this system of reducing
the larger owners in order to admit the
new settler is that many of the owners
of large numbers of stock are continu-
ally appealing to the forester against
the cutting down process, saying they
are being Injured In their business and
deprived of their rights as citizens, to
increase and build up a legitimate In
dustry. On the other hand, some of the
little men are equally persistent in their
appeals for further recognition than
that already allowed them. In handling
this matter the forest officers must act
as fair and impartial Judges for both
classes.
Provide for New Men
There is one fixed and immutable
point in this entire proposition which
cannot be changed except through inn
the number of stock which given area
will ordinarily support. When the for
est ranges are carrying the full number
of stock which they safely can. the only
thing that can be done to meet the de-
mand from new settlers is to reduce
the number which any one man car
range and give the new settler the ben
eft of this reduction.
On one Of the national forests in the
state of Wyoming at the time II was
created, six years, ago, the area was
supporting a large number of sheer
which were owned by a few large COM
panies and individuals. The little mar
was d4rIlOEl an uLhIONA IdCLDT III Tia
region. The largest owner was graz
ing some $4,000 head Of sheep, which
was At per cent Of the total number or
the forest. The next year there were
a number Of settlers who desired TO en-
ter the forest. whose claims were legit-
innate, and in order TO admit them a
sliding scale reduction was made on all
owners over and above certain num-
Der, the surplus being used TO allow
the new men to enter the forest.
Fair Treatment Given All
Each succeeding year more new set
tiers desired to Craze their sheep and
cattle on that forest and the same sys-
tenn was followed to obtain the neces-
sary room for these new men until, at
the beginning Of the present grazing
season, the man who six years ago
owned Al per cent of the stock had been
reduced in numbers until he was graz
ing but 10000 head Of sheep, which was
about per cent OF the total number Of
the forest. In the meantime the num-
Der of individuals and firms grazing
stock In that forest had greatly in
creased until there are almost three
times as many men using the range as
were at the time of its creation as a
national forst. This certainty proves
that the government is not maintain
ing the national forest ranges solely for
the big companies, to the exclusion of
the small owners and new settlers.
In order that the larger holders may
not be too seriously reduced from year
to year, they are guaranteed that they
will not be reduced below a certain
point and the new owners are re-
stricted to a certain established num-
Der to begin with and allowed to grad
ually increase their number from year
to year until they have reached the
limit, which is set for any one man or
company. In this manner the reduc-
ton is spread over several years and
the larger owners are given time TO
meet it. But the small men are quite
as insistent that they are being dis
eliminated against as are the larger
men, because many of them say that
instead of starting at the low figure
they should be allowed to enter the
forest, if they wish, with a number
equal to the full limit, which would re-
suit in making the annual reductions
on the large holders several times
heavier than they are under the present
| system.
Demands Persistent
For the year 1909 there were thirty
two new settlers who desired to enter
particular forest with their stock
but with the reductions made on the
older users II was Impossible 10 TAKE
care of but five of them, and while the
older users complain of the reductions
necessary to meet this demand from
the new men, the new men also COM
! plain because they are not allowed a
| larger number at the beginning. One
! of the basic principles in handling
grazing matteres on the national for
ests is that it is better to help small
man make living than big man q
profit.
The policy of the forest service IL
making those reductions and restrie'
tions is not to injure any person nor t.
allow the new men to enter the fores
with such a large number as vii
necessitate unnecessarily large reduc
tons to meet them. The number al
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