The Glenwood post., 1916-04-22
HERD LAW GETS
A FINAL THRUST

Reasons Why Measure Should be OPP
posed by Residents Of Mountain
Country.
Proposed changes in the existing
laws of town, county or state should
ordinarily have sufficient merit to war
rant the abandonment of an old, we'll
tried and satisfactory statute for an
embryonic and unreasonable one, such
as the proposed herd law, writes A. A.
MACEDONIAN, secretary of the Chaffce
County Cattle and Horse Growers as
sociation in the Buena Vista Democrat.
From the early days of our state the
stock industry has been one of the
most valuable adjuncts of the many
industries which now contribute to make
conditions that we can stand honorable
comparison with any and all states of
the Union. The necessity of an amiea-
BILE statute to protect stockmer and al
other citizens became obvious, and i'll
1885 the legislature enacted and passed
the "fence law" which to date has
stood the test, proven satisfactory, and
in no manner produced hardships. Tie
condition existing before the passage
of this act was identical with what will
ensue if the proposed herd law becomes
effective, for section 13 provides for
the abolition of the present fence law.
This law, which has been effective and
satisfactory for thirty-one years, was
SO constructed that legal fence is not
SO costly but that even settlers with
limited means are able to comply with
its requirements.
Farming without stock (which will be
the condition if this proposed herd law
is adopted) will produce results that
will cause all classes to become losers,
assessed valuations on all other proper
ties will of necessity have to be in
creased, the fertility of the soil will
rapidly decrease and state of affairs
will ensue which will lead to the DE-
sertion of many little homes which now
constitute base for a bunch of stock.
This may appear pessimistic, but the
experience of other states should be 4
! criterion. In western Kansas, Okla
homa, western Texas and other loeali-
ties the experiment of enforcing herl
law has been tried and disastrous re-
suits always followed. In western
Kansas, a few years ago, there was AL
influx of settlers who began operations
by strict enforcement of the herd
law. The cattle were quickly driven
out of that section, and the farmers
soon discovered that little remuneration
followed their efforts without cattle
and other livestock. Some of these
settlers starved through and proved up
on their homesteads, but many of them
gave up the fight and never secured
title to the land. But what happened
to the heard lawi 1t was speedily
abolished, or, where not eliminated,
was never thought of again as far as
its enforcement was concerned.
In the greater part of the state Of
Colorado the topography of the country
is such that large areas of pasture
land exist which can never be utilized
for anything else than stock and gam,.
Existing laws protect both at the pres
ent time, but with herd law in force
the game will have full control. In
regions such as are adjacent to the
forest range, which is under the juris
diction of the federal government, large
.acreages exist which are unfenced, but
are used land the right Of usage paid
for) by stockmen; with herd law IL
effect these lands would be completely
out of service for the men who are now
using them.
Note the cunning construction of Sec
ton IL of the proposed herd law. A
district and even county may by vote
repeal this law. A condition results
with a definite aid line as the line of
demarcation for said district or county,
but the adjacent portion Of the county
in the said district or the next county,
on any side, are operating under the
herd law with no means Of controlling
stock unless the district or county r1-
pealing the law fences the areas not
under herd law enforcement.
Section provides how stock dis
tricts shall be established. One-fourtn
Of the legal voters may petition for
such an election. Under this section
farmer may petition to have his farm
and the territory around his land en-
closed in stock district. There may