Cheyenne record., 1916-01-06
Herd Law Brings Prosperity i.
Alanlosa. Colo

State Herd Law. y mighty good "a
ticle. While he has made the issue /.
between hOinesteuucr, did the stock
men. l would broaden the-I,,ue by
claiming that the State Herd Law
would benefit practically every inter-
est in Colorado, including the stock
men themselves.
The stock business is fast changing
from one of open range to one of fen.
ced pastures, feeding and shelteriny
the stock of IL better grade. Ranging
Is not as certain-it does not have the
foundation it once had.
With the crowding of the ranges pas
lures are being killed out, whereas
fenced pastures can be maintained by
irrigation. No one is going to irrl-
gate range pasture for someone else to
use.
They have Il herd law in Kansas,
optional with each county. | person
ally know OF one county which ten
years ago was about in the same con-
dltlon as many of the counties in Cor
orado. Once homesteaded, Il few acres
broken out, it was mortgaged and then
abandoned to the range men, and
whether they believed it or not, some
OF them evidently did, it was to their
interests to say that the land was not
lit for farming. They discouraged set
tiers, said nothing could he raised,
and that the land IS worth only 81 UU'
or 500 an acre for grazing purposes.
Fences and buildings were destroyed,
ana the stockinen had everything their
own way. After a time u change took
place, mortgages were bought up at Il
discount title Strengthened out, and in
spite of discouragelnents IL new crop
OF farmers gradually came on, taking
up hrst the lands near the towns. FL
nally they were i'll the majority, and
voted for the herd law in their county.
That county which was not supposed
to be good tor farming and which is
only 24x30 miles is now producing
from l,OOO.OO0 or 2,OO0,uO bushels up
to 6,WU,Ouu bushels of wheat. Nearly
l2.OOO,OD bushels in the last two years
The land is now worth around so an
acre, and some Of it IL great deal moie
There are more cattle in the county
than ever before, aud the increase in
population and personal property di-
vldes up the taxes among the many.
, This process is true i'll hundreds oi
localities where range land is being
changed into farming land, and this
change is now due i'll many parts OF
Colorado, and the quickness of the
change is largely accounted for by the
herd law, but l make the point that the
honlesteader is not the only one bene.
fitted. Taxes are more equitably di-
videG: business men and corporations
can easily pay tax which at present
is burdensOme. With the increased
population there are more schools.
more convenient to pupils, and at IL
less cost per capita to taxpayers.
| have been told that it costs as much
to govern the state of Colorado as it
does to govern the state of Kansas,
with more than double the population
The increase of population will dis
tribute that tax SO TIE per a ,ita t X
tor Colorado snould be about hall ol
what 1T now is: more people and more
property to help pay the expenses OF
the government.
Colorado is fa t e .Oming an agri.
cultural state. Tne"iiprG law will be Il
big help first to the settler and busi-
ness men, and almost as soon as it
will help every interest in the state.
from the settler to the railroad corpOl
ationS, and til" cattle man will not sui
fer, but his methods will be changed.
Instead of shifting around the country
for free range, he will make more mon
ey by settling down on land which he
own or leases. With this foundation
he knows just where he stands, how
much grass he has, how many cattle
or other stock he can feed. What le
loses on free range will more than he
made up fl ON feeding stock. 1t GER
tainly is II handicap if II homeSteader
must put so much of his first effort in
to fences to keep out stock, and may he
disease d stock.
The burden is now on the owner of
crops. of feed and hay, whereas this
expense should be on the owner of
stock, whether he be Il small stockman
or an owner of large herds.
At present range men prefer to see
fences down than up, so miles of it is
down.
1t is important, however. thst the
herd law be passed leaving it optional
with the counties to use the law or not,
rs they elect.
Here in the San Luis valley we are
ready for the herd law. All pastures
outside of the timber rpserv ations
should he fenced. 1t is needed in 9TH
er parts of this state, but not neces-
sarily in every section.
Yours truly.
FRED L. MORRIS.
The above article taken from
the Great Divide, OF Denver,
of Dec. 13. 1915.
: We wish to say that the herd