The Washington times., 1915-04-25
u. 1S.4Segks FnSst:PaaceI
As Producer of Meats
Europes War Will Be Htched to Campaign for Pas
sage of Conservation egisation-Presdent AS
sures Confidantes He Is Deeply Interested.
BY JUDSON C. WELLIVER.

maintaining stock has been growing
less. AS a result, Government status
tics show reduction of the number
Of cattle In seventeen Western fanse nne
O,0O0, 900 to %, 0o0, 600. and of the num-
ber Of sheep from 39,000,000 to 32OO0,Ooo'
The range has been overfed In some
sections unti great areas or II are
becoming well nigh denuded OF grass
and actually tending to reVersion 10
desert conditions.
All this II has been clearly SHOWN
by the actual experience or the Gov
ernment in managing the forest reserve
lands, Is the result of bad manage
, ment Of the ranges. The number Of
cattle on the lands which happen to De
within forest reserves has increased
while on other lands of generally SINH
lar character 1t has been decreasing.
The general capacity of the range
lands to sustain stock Is unquestlonapii,N,
becoming less: and its capacity VIII
continue to drop unless methods are
| adopted that will conserve 1t.
Purpose of Leasing Bill.
This Is the purpose of the general
| range leasing bill, on which represen-
/ tatives Of the Administration have been
at work industriously since Congress
| adjourned. 1t Is now proposed to con-
J solidate, with some modificatDns, the
| Kent and the Ferguson bills on thin
! subject The Kent is the range LEASING
measure: the Ferguson Is the Dill loi
| creation of the range homestead, ina,
is. the homestead of the semi-arlc
| region, reaching up to $40 acres. II
effect, it Is designed to CLASSIFY ths
lands 80 that those which are aVall
able for range-homestead entry undel
| the Ferguson plan may be set side foi
| that use while the others may be nan
! died under the general leasing plan. II
! great areas, but under such contTo
that the feeding capacity Will sraduaI!
be restored instead of being furthe'
| destroyed.
| A decade ago. when discussion OF tins
plan of restoring the ranges began
there was anything but asree ement al
to the practicability of proposed metn
antagonistic to the plans hat were
tc sted out in the national forests Bu
the tests were made as result OF th'
irsistence OF President Roosevelt. wh'
bf fcked the forest policies OF his suo
ordinates. Necessary legislation wa!
secured and now 1t Is Thoroughly dem
cnstratcd that the product of meat cat
tie from the ranges of the public 90
main, outside the forest reserves, coul'
readily be doubled II they were care'
fnr as a wise farmer would care for nj
pastures.
Program Well Shaped.
It is an impressive statement. whicI
is adduCed IN Ol pioPOSS'
LEGISLATION, that there is In the Yves
an area of this kind equal TO one-fourt
the whole country. that Is today FRO
ducing Just about one-half the amoun
OF stock IL should. The national fores
ranges are now maintaining 1885, 600 cal
tie and horses. $4,000 sheep. and 4.0
: hogs Cattlemen in the West are gen
orally won over. now. to the realizatio
that proper national control OF tn
ranges will .help rather than hurt thei
Interest and that with the proApectiv
Increase in demand for meat. leather
wool and the other products of liN
! stock. the ranges would very quickl
respond with an increased producuo
: of 20 to so per cent.
The conservation measures failed 6
$ the close of the last session of Congres
because of the jam of business, and
Is generally believed because some pr
Y vate interests were able to get them ma
neuvered into disadvantageous statu
Z Since adjournment Congressman Kent
q California. leader in the effort #
t leasing legislation. has been nearly a
= the time in Washington. confcrrir
8 with the officials OF the Agricu
e tural and Interior Departments ar
S with President Wilson about the pr,
t Srm for the coming session. That pr,
n gram for the coming session. That pr
prominent legislators of all parties al
e ready to get back of 1t and push It
d the statutes.