The Coconino sun., 1917-01-26

vantages which he is compelled to pay for, are but rights, privileges or pre- ferences which have been acquired through prior use and development of the range-a right, privilege, or pre- ference which the Forest Service has acknowledged since its incipiency-or through money invested in ranch property. ~
 As to the complaint by municipali- ties that owing to the low grazing fees, stockmen are being favored over the citizens as a whole, such com plsint is unwarranted. It simply amounts to a complaint that the pri- viIeges already acquired by stockmen upon National Forests should be espe- cially taxed for the benefit of the citi- zens as hole,regardless of the fact as to whether or not such an addition al tax is warranted.
 At the time grazing fees were first established no attempt upon the part of the Forest Service was made to secure more than a nominal fee, which should represent fair share of the cost of the administration of National Forests, and which should be borne by the stockmen using these ranges. The reasons that only nominal fees for grazing were to be exacted of stockmen at the time fees were first charged were that the stockmen had been using and were in possession of the ranges at the time National For ests were created, and that it was not the intention of the government to de- prive the stockmen of the use of these ranges nor to interfere with them in any way, save and except where it was absolutely necessary to do so for the protection of the Forest and water sheds of the country. This announced policy was in perfect accord with the object and intention of the organic act creating National Forests, and it recognizes the fact that up to that time grazing upon a National Forest had not been considered as an asset of Forestry, but that thereafter it should be made to pay only its just propor- ton of the cost of administering that particular branch of the Service. But, it must be confessed, that within the past few years a change from this policy seems to have manifested itself in the administration of the Forests, and if, therefore, the portion of your letter to Secretary Tomlinson relative to the suggestion of submitting graz ing privileges to the highest bidder should be enacted into regulation of the Service, you would be com pelled to completely disregard all rights, privileges, or preferences of stockmen upon National Forests that, have been acquired by them through the expenditure of their time, their money, and their efforts to establish successful business.
 As to the study made by the For ester of some 900 cases of the com parative charges paid by stockmen for grazing privileges upon private lands and those of National Forests, we must confess that we are at loss to understand the basis as stated by you upon which the Forester arrives at his conclusions. AS a matter of fact and we make the statement without fear of successful contradiction there is not the slightest degree of comparison in the value of grazing privilege upon private, state, reclama- ton withdrawal, Indian reservation, and railroad lands with that of graz ing privilege upon lands within Nat ional Forest. In the first place it is superfuous to argue the advantages that an owner or lessee has in the control of lands that are completely under his domination, with that of permittee who, is compelled to graze his stock upon public lands not under his control and upon which his stock is compelled to graze in common with other classes of stock. On National Forest cattle and sheep graze to- gether, and almost invariably to the disadvantage of the former. On a National Forest cattle are subject to certain restrictions, regulations, re- auctions in the permitted number, troubles-such as that at present over the question of raising grazing fees as we'll as other innumerable annoy ances from incidental causes; none of which, owners or lessees of private, state, reclamation, Indian reservation or railroad lands have to contend with. In case of draugth the owner or les see of any of these lands can easily gather his stock for shipment to other points. whereas upon a National For est the owner is unable to gather his l ont;ro boldinp. and for that reason is