Gunnison news-champion., 1914-02-13
DISCUSS range
lEls|nc PlM
Osestioa Soon VIII Be Push
cd TO Drisniae Action IN
Coassess Is the Prevailing
Opsnsoa.

There seems 10 he great proba-
bility that the range leasing ases-
ton. which Is an important one ~
the stack raising section. will come
to an issue IN Congress before
many months. and for that reason
we are publishing the following
article. written ny II. W. Gray.
prominent stockmsn of Gunnison
county, who took an active part in
the drafting of the Kent Leasing
Bill which rs also published in this
issue of the News-Chsmpion. The
article by Mr.. Gray and the Kent
Bill are as follows
lBy T. ". Gray
There being q strong sentiment in
most of the western states for a law to
control the public domain outside of the
Forest Reserves, it behooves the stock
men of this county and the Western
Slope Of Colorado to inform themselves
on this subject rs to what is for their
best interest. The bill published in this
issue of this paper was introduced into
Congress by Mr.. Kent, of California,
and prepared by committee Of cattle
men appointed by the American Nation
al Live Stock Association. Itis without
doubt the fairest, most complete and
practical bill that has ever been intro
duced into Congress on this subject, but
it has it's defects. The advance in the
value of live stock with the prospect of
increase in numbeFs in the range coun-
try make the question of permsnency
Of range to the present cow-msn one Of
vital importance. This csn only be OBJ
tanned through some form of law and
the execution of any law brings more
or less expense. The question then
arises can we not as stockmen well
afford to stand nominal expense and
he guaranteed a range and place for
our cattle without the dread of being
overrun by outside herds of cattle or
bands of sheep? Both four and two
years ago as chairman of the advisory
board of the Gunnison County Stock
Growers Association Iprotested against
a thousand steers being turned upon the
Anthracite range. Most of the cattle
men remember the bitter opposition to
granting the Western Slope Wool
Growers Association a permit on the
Anthracite and Coal Greek ranges.
The bill provides for community in
terest in which number of stockmen
can run together and fee paid by the
head, the same as on the Forest Re
serves. 1t further provides for ten
years and the only one to gain rights
thereon is the new homesteader.
The first part of the above bill is what
is known as the leasing system which
effect the deserts and vast tracts of
lands that have no stock water. These
grazing lands and deserts furnish much
winter feed if stock water could be OBJ
tanned, but no one wants to go to an
expense getting stock water when he
has no right to it any more than his
fellow man. If the present bill could
be enacted it would give opportunity
TO develop wells, springs and even
artesian water on ranges that are now
unoccupied and where feed goes to
waste all for the lack of any law to pro-
teet the man or company that goes TO
an expense to improve and develop
these unoccupied and unused lands.
The maximum fee of four cents per
acre is too high for most of these lands.
1t should be not to exceed two cents for
the best of it, and at the same proper
ton by the head. Even this is much
higher than is paid in any of the graz
ing countries Of Australia or Argentine.
We should pay no more than any of
these countries, as we now have to
compete with them in the open market.