The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1916-04-27
Sheep and Cattle Growers Disagree.

The stock and the sheepmen were ap.
parently no nearer an agreement late
yesterday regarding the two-mile limit
law and its enforcement, or the leasing
of state lands within the area which the
stOckmen claim is protected by that
law, in the hearing before the land
board than when they started. The
matter of definitely deciding upon and
adopting rules governing the leasing of
the land was. finally left to the state
land board. That body will meet later
and decide just how the leasing prob
lem will be handled. The stock and
sheepmen unanimously passed a resolu-
ton thanking the board for the time
given them at the hearing.
Briefly summarized, the sheepmen
claimed that to take from them the
right to lease state school lands within
the two-mile lint means the ruination
of the sheep industry. They pleaded
for time to be able to "get out FROM
UNDER in the sheep business.
The stOckmen, on tn other hand,
claimed the right to all Of the grazing
land within the twO-mile limit law,
because they alleged the law intended
to bar the sheepmen from the use of
the range within that area, and yet
they were being permitted to 'trample
out of the range by trailing sheep across
it so that it became useless for stock
insofar as pasturage is concerned.
They seemed to be of the opinion that
it is impossible to divide the range
between stock and sheep.
Among the speakers for the stock in
koro n Rlo 80 n
Ferry, Roll Myers Of Horseshoe Bend,
f. Crawford Of Weiser, and officers Of
the idaho Cattle and Horse Growers
association. Frank r. Gooding, Ma
than Kicks, Sam Kicks, Senator X. D.
Houtz and others spoke for the sheep
men.
Governor Gooding declared that If
the state lands are removed from the
leasing column the industry stands to
be shortly ruined, and he pleaded for
fair treatment and the right to grad
| ually get out of the sheep business as
| the hOmesteaders encroached upon the
range. He thought it was unfair to
enforce two-mile limit against the
sheepmen because homestead had been
| taken, as is the case he said, in many
| instances, by those Who never become
bona fde hOmesteaders. Nathan Kicks
made similar argument. He declared
that no industry was doing more for
Idaho than the sheep, and it was en-
titled to fair consideration. 1t was his
argument that the priority right of
stockmen and the two-mile limit law
mean ultimately that the sheep inter
ests will have to go out of business.
He added that he was for the home
builder just as strong as any stock man.
| The marauder sheep man was at
tackled by Senator Houtz, speaking from
the sheepman s standpoint. He claimed
the land board should take some step to
bar the rowing French and Basque
flock owners from the range. Senator
Houtz represented the Portneuf Sheep
Grazing association. Sam Kicks alleged
the marauder ''doesn t live in Idaho or
anywhere else.
The bitterest attack against the
sheepmen was made by T.. b. Craw-
ford, of Weiser. He declared that he
was the only man in his section of the
country who had stood out against the
sheepmen in the use of the range and
had been successful. He mentioned
fighting the Butterfeld Livestock com
pany in this regard, declaring they alb
solutely refused to abide by the terms
of the two-mile limit law The sheep
men, he declared, were'' ruthless and
designing,' and always against the
homesteader. The latter, he said were
to be the builders of Idaho, and worth
in the long run more than the sheepmen.
81 IN cattle man, and l want you to
know it, he cried.
The new rules proposed by the land
board were presented and read rule by
rule, after which they were discussed.
These rules declare against policy that
will result in the monopoly of the range
by controlling the watering places.
Declaration on behalf of bona fide resi-
dents is declared for by the board to-
gether with fostering of the livestock
industry, encouragement of the small
owner, permitting the small stock own
err tt have access to big leases, giving
communities preference right to con-
tiguOus isolated tracts, permitting trail
ing across isolated tracts, permitting
the leasing of state lands for agricult.
ural or grazing purposes for term of
from one to five years, limiting agricult-
ural leases to 800 acres, allowing ara
BILE lands withdrawn for grazing pur-
poses, allowing a grazing lease to be
changed to an agricultural lease, as
signment of leases, auction of leases,
terms Of payment, requiring leasers to
give bond, and prohibiting the occupa-
ton of land without lease.
The rules further provide that leases
| will not be reissued to non residents of
the state of Idaho. Grazing leases are
to run from 71s to % cents per acre;
| agricultural leases from 25 cents to 81
per acre per annum. The filing fee is
! 81 so for each section or fraction
thereof applied for, and % cents for
beach additional fraction.-Capital
News, April %.