Arizona republican., 1917-01-20
GRAZING FEES
ARE DISCUSSED
BY STOCKMEN
Continued from Page One)

cannot carry this added burden. My
experience has been that in the
opinion of the fellow who pays the
bill, 10 time is the right time to in
crease prices"
Reviewing the history of grazing
land leasing legislation and its fail
ure to- get through congress. Mr.. Pot
ter said: when congress might
have passed such a bill, the stock
men did not want it, and when the
stock men concluded they wanted it,
congress could not see 1t that way.
Well after the funeral was over, up
bobs the question again, why den t
you raise the grazing fees?' and Il
perfectly coed reason presented itself
in the fact that The election was
coming, and that it would not be fair
TO inject this thing into a political
campaign. And so it went over for
another season. In the only way Il
raise in fees could affect the con-
sumner would be in our getting the
price so high the ranges would not
be used. and in that way cause the
supply of meat animals to be re-
duccd.
The item of grazing fees at eithe.
80 cents or 81 a year on a S25 steer
will not affect the price Of beef
steak to the fellow that eat; it, noI
the grazing fee on sheep at either
Ga cents or 1214 cents, the price OF
an order OF lamb chops"
DR.. w. J. Butler. state veterina-
rian of Montana, discussed the ques-
ton, present and future of the live
stock industry, and said the United
States now is raising the best cattle
in the word, and has the best mar
ket Facilities. | predict that the
raising of pure-bred cattle, now il
its infancy, will become an import
ant factor in the industry"
The report of the market commit
tee centered around the success OF
the committee in obtaining consent
of the packers to an investigation OF
the meat industry. under certain reg
ulatiouS.
Formal announcement of success II
an effort 20 bring about an agree
ment by the big packing concerns Of
the country to an investigation OF
the packing industry by the fedora
trade commission was contained il
the report of the committee on mar
liets, submitted to the convention by
A. f. Ricgles, of Denver, secretary
of the committee
year ago at Ell Paso. Texas, has
been engaged in conducting cam
paign for q federal investigation Of
the livestock industry, relating t.
production and distribution
I'VE have convinced the packing
/ interests that at last the producer.
arc hereafter to be reckoned with,
says the report; that they can or
ganize and stick together for the ac.
complishmcnt of an end i'll which
they are vitality interested, namely
the establishment of fair, open anc
competitive markets.
1--WE have convinced them that We
are not to be turned from our mair
purpose. AS a result. we have met
them both individually and as :
committee and they have finally
agreed, under certain conditions, tc
withdraw their opposition to an in
vestiGation by the federal trade COM
mission"
After emphasizing the magnitude
of the task which the committee I'M
dertook and detailing the methods
by which an agreement was; finally
reached with the packers the report
refers to what is termed the more
Fundamental features of questions
pertaining to the marketing of live
stock and meats. These are:
Control at central markets by the
packers, which it is declared is great
as ever, but temporarily obscured by
the unprecedented demand caused by
tho war; difficulty in making the
public understand that by laying
foundations for increased production
and more economical distribution the
committee will aid in lowering the
cost of living; cooperating with
packers, commission men, stockyard
companies and federal bureaus.
The report related the enormous
difficulties overcome by the investi-
eating committee. and stated that
despite the involvement OF congress
sional and bureau departments of the
federal government in the investiga-
ton the surface is barely scratched
The report recommended the con-
tinuance of the investigation regard
less o. the expense involved.
1.-THE most amazing situation in the
civilized world is the utter ignorance
of the heads by inheritance of five OF
the nation greatest packing concerns
of the economic principles underlying
the industries they direct said Wal
ter l.. Fisher. former secretary of tn.
interior. counsel for the market COM