Arizona republican., 1916-01-12

1 to use another comparison. it shows 1 that Uncle Sans Open Range even ! as greatly reduced as it has been of l recent years, IS still greater than the
 combined area of Germany, France and Belgium.
 i The people of the entire nation have 1 q very natural interest in the proper use of these immense public pas 1 lures for the reason that over mil
 lion head of cattle are now graZed 1 upon them and Is million head of 1 sheep. As you are well aware, during recent years many various plans have 1 been suggested for the handling of ! these grazing lands Some have felt
 that Dy national legislation they
 should he turned over to the states;
 should be subject to the provisions of
 a Liberal Grazing Homestead bill
 Opinions as to the size of the grazing homestead vary from one of $40 acres , to 10 sections.
 i The Arizona Cattle Growers Asso-
 citation, as well as the American Ma | consistently for period of over ten years. advocated the administration i of these lands under federal control similar in operation to the supervis- 1 .on of the grazing ranges within the national forests by the forestry ser vice. with the fullest freedom, mean I while. for homcsteading under the | laws now existing or under any future homestead laws that might be en-
 acted. You are all familiar with the 1 history of the work of this associ
 ation and the National Association in support of what is known as the ] leasing bill and the hearings which we have had before congress on this l important subject and the various 1 bills which have had our support, cul-
 minating in the Kent bill presented in ! the last session of congress-
 At the hearing on this subject be- lore the Public Lands Committee of the last congress, it became very eVi-
 dent to me that to secure definite and | favorable legislation on this subject it would he necessary to agree on a Dil! which would provide for three principles: First: general, but not extensive, classification of all the. un appropriated unrescrved public lands; Second: provision for d stock-raising or graZIng homestead upon such DOT l tiOns of this grazing area of such 1 character that $40 acres would reaS- orab!y support family; Third, leas 1 ing for definite periods ot the bal ance of the lard under provisions similar to those of the Kent bill. At the last annual meeting of the Amer iCan National Live Stock Association,
 the following resolution was passed on tkis subject Federal Control of Public Grazing Lands. ( The American National Live Stock Association. in convention assembled at San Francisco, March 24-26, 1915 hereby reaffirms it's position as shown by resolutions passed at it's previous annual meetings for several years, in favor Of the federal control of the
 public grazing lands. We believe that the prosperity and development of the
 stock-raisirg industry on the pubic
 grazing lands is to he suDserved by system of control which will give to
 he stock raiser the opportunity to
 
 tions as will induce the improvement
 of the grazing on the lands, the de- ,VelopmeEt of water, and the oppor- tuEitN to carry on permanent bus mess thereon, thus aboliShing the
 present indiScriminate methods of
 grazing and waste: aud we strongly
 recommend the passage by congress
 of a law providing for the federal
 classification and control of such
 land, under such just and reason
 able method as will best utilize the
 same and preserve the grazing there
 on, and as will provide for stock
 raising -homesteads upon such DOT
 tiols as may be set aside by the gov
 ernment, after examination, as being
 of such character that $40 acres will
 reasonably support a family.
 We furtlser commend the recom-
 mendations Of the Secretary of Ag-
 ricclture in his annual report for
 1914 on the subject of the control and
 utilization If the grazing on the pub