Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-27

Will AOI D0 ready 1Or cultivation Tor
years to come. If we properly admin
lister the land laws Of this country no
man can comprehend the magnitude Of
the live stock industry within the COM
ing years.
Waiting for Legislation
"Stockmen have been accused Of be-
ing land thieves, of seiZing public
lands for grazing purposes when they
mad no right to them. / tell you the
StOckmen of the west have waited
thirty years for proper land legislation
to govern our western grazing lands.
This organization is working, among
other things, to secure proper and ade-
quate land legislation. When the east
| comes to understand the needs of the
west we will get the much needed
measures.
''There lis no doubt that land has
been seized illegally for stock raising
purposes. But I doubt if one acre has
| ever been illegally taken up that has
injured any individual, community or
state in the region where it has been
seized.
Land legislation is too frequent and
too spasmodic. Regulation by the sec
retary of the interior varies with great
frequency. This means that the home
steader who takes up land under one
set of regulations has to prove up on
the lands in later years under new
laws and regulations which hamper and
annoy him with their frequency Of
change. What we want are fixed regu-
lations which can be changed only by
act Of congress"
Mr.. Carey then spoke of leasehold
plan to make grazing lands available
to the stock raiser. This plan is for
the utilization Of lands not fit for cul-
tiVation or not ready for cultivation.
1t treads on no ones rights. The stock
men demand some kind of tenure Of
public lands by which they can lease
for a term of years with some security.
The homesteader would not be inter-
fered with and would be allowed to
settle anywhere within the leasehold
limits. The stock men are not opposed
to the hOmesteader or any settler who
comes into the west for legitimate pur-
poses. But he does want to be pro
tected against other men who are in
the same business in which he is en-
gagged.
Willing to Pay Rent
'"The stockmen are willing to pay a
fixed annual rent to the government
for the lease of grazing lands. Let US
suppose that John Smith has a herd Of
cattle on public range. Will he cut
down his herd and remove his cattle
when he knows that John Jones is
as it is left vacant? What we want is
that these lands adapted for grazing
purposes be used for grazing until they
are actually needed by the homestead
ers, and then we will get out.
''Stock diseases are spreading in the
range country. 1t is useless for a re-
sponsible cattle raiser to dip his stock
and take precautiOn against disease
His stock will mingle with a herd be-
longing to a careless neighbor, and will
become infected. Under a fixed form OF
tenancy this incentive to neglect stock
would be removed. 1t is cheaper for
the stockmen to pay a reasonable rent
for land than to suffer the losses in
cident to the present uncertain hap
hazard land system.
''These great natural ranges OF
America are being eaten out. There
is not enough feed and sheep do not
shear as formerly and cattle do not
weigh as much. The land would not
be exhausted under a stable form of
tenancy. Let us accept the Curtis
bill or get together and make up some
other bill that will solve this problem"
H. S. Cowan, attorney for the asso-
citation, was the next speaker on the
program. He described the work that
had been accomplished in past years
and the need of more legislation and
Of measures now pending.
At Mercy of Railroads
"We have learned that the railroads
of the country can beat us almost at
every turn. We have learned this by
hard experience. In 1902 the railroads
raised the rates and we said nothing.
A few months later they were raised
again and we kept silent. Then they
tried a third raise of rates and we saw.
bankruptcy staring us in the face if
something was not done. The cattle
men came to me and wanted to en-
force the law against the railroads. I
looked the matter up and found we
had no law to apply to them. In the
first raise of rates the railroads had
levied a million dollars on us. The
second time they levied another million
on the industry and in the spring OF
1908 they placed the third million on
the load. When you get a man started
to taking money out of your pocket he
doesn't usually stop until he has taken
all you have.
"When we found we had no law we
tried to get one that would help us tu
keep out of bankruptcy. The result Of
our efforts was the interstate COM
merce act, the greatest piece of 1egis-
lation which will ever occur in the life
time of most Of us 1t is a landmark
in the history of our country. The
action of members of this organization
did more than anything else to secure
the enactment of this act. And it was
passed against the will of the majority
of the members of congress.
Met with Injunctions
when the interstate commerce
commission was appointed it held
that the third increase of rates
was unjust and that the terminal
charges at Chicago should be reduced
from 81 per car to 81. Then the rail-
ways brought an injunction to prevent
the enforcement of the decision. The
commission held that the increase in
mileage rates was also unjust and the
railways brought another injunction
suit
What we have accomplished so far
shows what you can accomplish when
you unite to influence public opinion.
History furnishes no greater exam
pie Of tyranny than is presented by
congress today. The representatives
you send there have no power There
is no voice in congress but that Of the
speaker. There must he a reform in