Mohave County miner., 1917-01-20
OPPOSED ID
 INCREASE IN
 GRAZING FEES
CattIemen Declare Permit tees Already Paying Full Value for Privileges and That Fees Are One-Third Greater Than Cost of Ad- ministratiOn

CHEYENNE, Wyo, Jan. 19.- Swinging from the report of the as- sociation's market committee, pre- sented today, interest at the conven- tion of the American National Live stock Association, turned to the pro posed increase in grazing fees on nat ional forests, given in the call for the convention as one of the major sub jects to come up at the present meet ing.
 A. F. Potter, associate forester, of Washington, summarized the govern ment bureaus plans and reasons in regard to the increased fees and the resolutions committee, headed by w.. R. Morley of Datil, N. M., passed a resolution protesting sharply against the increase.
 This resolution declared that per mittees already are paying full value for the grazing proves they hold; that the fees paid are one-third greater than the cost of administering the grazing operations; that the advance z in fees is a "eomplete reversal of policy, which we very much deplore," !" and that in the belief of the commit tee the reasons advanced for the pro posed raise are insufficient, wherefore Ave do most vigorously and unan- imously protest against any raise in the fees now charged for grazing on the national forests"
 The resolution was based on about 100 protests filed with the forest ser vice and grazing lands committee of the association. Of these one filed by the New Mexico Cattle and Horse Growers Association, was typical. This protest contained the following summary of it's makers reasons for entering it:
 If an increae must be obtained in the income of the forest service, it is our feeling that it should be obtained from other sources than the stock growing industry; stock raisers all ready are paying their full pro rata of the expense; that the permittees are not enjoying any gratuitous prove, but in most cases, have ire quently paid for their established right, through long occupancy, hard ships, efforts and the expenditures of establishing their business.
 'We call your attention to the fact that while a proposed increase may appear to be justified by the present high prices for meat products, neither the stoclmen nor forest service have any means of knowing for how long a time these prices will continue.
 'It is our opinion that if any raise in the grazing fee be insisted upon by the department of agriculture, it be that the money so derived be expended for the direct benefit of the stock in- dustry on the forests"
 Stating the forest service side of the case, MT. Potter said:
 "A raise of $1,OO0,OO0 in a lump seems a large amount, but when div ided among the 33,300 permittees using the forest service ranges it is reduced to an average of $30 each.
 'The plan adopted harmonizes with the policy regarding charges for other products of the forests and seems the fair thing to do when the interests of the people are considered.
 The best of indication of what any thing is worth is what people will pay for it. We are sure that grazing and the national forests is worth the price which is being charged because the demand for permits exceeds the sup ply of range. We are turning away applicants every year."
 Mir. Potter said he personally knew of bonuses of S10 a head being paid for cattle grazed on the national for est, with the grazing permit included in the sale. He compared the cost of grazing rights on the of national forests to the advantage of the form CT, saying "data was obtained in a study of this question few years ago which showed that the average price obtained for grazing on other lands was about three times the prices charged on national forests.
 Therefore" the associate forester continued, it appears that double the present rates would not be an unrea- sonable charge"
 ''The suggestion has been made that that is not a good time to make the proposed change because of the fact that the cost of everything re- quired in connection with raising live stock is so high that the business can not carry this added burden. My ex- perience has been that in the opinion of the fellow who pays the bill, no time is the right time to increase prices"