The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1910-09-01

lands and national forests. They have
met and overcome the unrelenting op-
position OF some of the most influential
stockmen of the state; they have won
because they have been right. I want
to express also my appreciation of the
work or the American National Livestock
association. IT has been one OF the really
important forces working toward eff
fectiye railway regulation, while its.
support OF the policy of federal range
control has given 1t large place mi
national affairs. AS an old-time stock
man I realize that the present order
of things on the open range cannot,
continue, and that the sure way to pro-
tect the range itself. prevent the in
crease OF big outfits. promote the eQuit-l
able use of the grazing lands, and fos-
ter genuine homestead settlement is tol
extend over the open range a system!
of range control somewhat similar tol
that now in effect on the national for-
ests.
Whatever system of range control
may be adopted in detail. there are two
things 1t must not do. 1t must not
handicap or exclude the small man by
requiring him to spend more money
for fences than he can afford, and IL
must leave every acre that can be set
tied by bona-fide homesteaders freely
open to such settlement
I DO not believe that single acre of
our public lands should hereafter pass
into private ownership except for the
single purpose of homestead settle
ment. and 1 know that the stockmen
stand with me in their desire to re-
move every obstacle from the path OF
the genuine homesteader. and to put
every possible obstacle in the pathway
Of the man who tries TO get public
lands by Misrepresentation or fraud.
This Is absolutely necessary on the
agricultural lands. 1t is at least equal
ly necessary on the mineral lands. IT
would be calamity, whose baleful eff
feet on the average citizen we can
scarcely exaggerate, If the great stores
of coal and other mineral fuels still
owned by the people in Alaska and
elsewhere should pass into the unregu-
lated ownership of monopolistic cor
porations.
The Forest Service.
You progressive stockmen have stood
heartily by the conservation move
ment. and with you have stood many
others throughout the West, to whom
large credit is due, such as the lum-
bermen in Washington and Oregon, the
irrigators in California. and the sup
porters OF the country life movement
in and around Spokane. / want to
make my Acknowledgements in partic-
ular to the Colorado Forestry associa-
tion which has supported the forest
work Of the government with such I'M
selfish zeal. The forest service has
enemies because it is effective. Some
of It's best work has been met by the
bitterest opposition. For example, it
has done a real service by blocking
the road against the grabbers of water
power, and again by standing like a
rock against the demands of bogus
mining concerns to exploit the national
forests. L have always done my best
to help the genuine miner. I believe
that one of the first duties of the gov
eminent is to encourage honest mining
on the public lands But it is equally
important to enforce the law firmly
against that particularly dangerous
class which makes its living off the
public through fraudulent mining
schemes
Much of the opposition to the forest
service, like much of the opposition to
conservation, takes the form of direct
Misrepresentation. For example, the
cry is often heard that the national
forests inclose great areas of agricul
tural land which are thus put beyond
the reach of settlement. This state
ment seems plausible only till the facts
are known. In the first place, congress
has specially provided that whatever
agricultural land there may be in any
national forest shall be open, under
proper safeguards, to homestead set
Element And in the second place, when
the opponents of conservation are ask
ed to point out the great stretches of
inclosed agricultural land on the
ground and in the presence of experts,
instead of in speeches in hall they
fail.
Reclamation Service.
The National Irrigation Congress is