The Glenwood post., 1916-08-05
Discuss Program For the De-
feat Of the So.ca||ed Herd
Law in November
CONDEMN SPONSORS

Their business and prosperity NEIL
aced by designing and disappointed
politician who threatens to force upon
them through the initiative laws herd
bill, the stockmen of Garfield, Eagle,
Pitkin, Mesa and Rio Blanco counties
gathered in Glenwood last Saturday to
voice their protest against this unfair
and blighting legislation and to take
steps to thwart the efforts of its pro-
moter to kill the livestock industry of
Colorado.
The meeting was called to order by
Frank D. Squier of Rifle, president of
the Colorado Stockgrowers association,
and Elmer Chapman of Divide creek,
secretary of the Grand River Stock
growers association, officiated as Sec
retary of the meeting.
Judge John L. Noonan of this city
was called upon to address the meeting
and the way he flayed volney Hoggatt
and the proprietors of the Denver Post
whose henchman Hoggatt is, sounded
good to the eattlemen present.
"Coming from the source it does oae
could expect little in fairness and moth
ing in respectability. 1t is the effort of
one man, an imported politician brought
from Oklahoma, to pay . political debt
to An outfit that is trying to rule vr
else ruin the state Of Colorado said
Judge Noonan. a. .-
Judge Noonan had with him the pro-
posed herd law and he proceeded to
tear it to pieces bit by bit until when
he had finished the bill would have
been unacceptable, even by its own
father, volney T. Hoggatt.
E. II. Grubb, the Carbondale potato
king, also knows lot about livestock
and he knows that the success of the
stock industry in Colorado will begin
to die just as soon as the Hoggatt bill
becomes law, if such thing ever
happens.
Sheriff Jessup of Glenwood Thought
there was already quite enough dis
couragements to the stock business with.
out adding this last straw which he
was sure would completely break the
camel g back. He said it would either
mean that the stockman would have to
hire herder to keep his stock out Of
the unprotected fields of his neighbors
or else he would be obliged to enclose
his pastures in tight fences, either of
which would prove ruinous to the
stock industry.
R. E. Vickery, general agent of the
Colorado Midland railroad, declared
that although the law would be, in its
first effects, beneficial to the railroads,
in the larger sense of ultimate prosper.
ity it would be detriment.
"Under the proposed herd law" he
said, "the farmers COW couldn't stray
upon railroad right of way without
the farmer being liable for any dam
ages the road might find chance to
assess against him. AT present, farm
er often gets damages for injury to
his stock which has unavoidably strayel
on the track. Under the herd law, It
would absolutely prevent the farmer
from collecting from the road. In that
way, the bill would help the railroads.
"But the same bill, If carried, would
wipe out the small farmer as we'll as
the large farmer and the cattlemen and
sheepman. It would prevent settlement
Of new areas Of agricultural land in
Colorado. It would cause . so per
cent depreciation in the value Of farm
lands throughout the state. Thus IS
final harm would be to the railroad
business ~ well si to the agricultur-
ist." 80 !.
Samuel D. Nicholson, Republican
candidate for governor sat in the mest-
ing and listened with more than ordin.
ary interest to the discussion and when
called upon by Chairman equier to ad-
dress the meeting, Mr.. Nicholson said
10 came to Glenwood 70 hear the srgm-
msnts of the stoekmsn themselves
Against the bill. he said he had bean
reading much and studying the qne1.
tioni carefully and b had already
made up his mind that TIE proposed