Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-01-20
GRAZING FEES
. ARE DISCUSSED
), BY ST0CKMEN

CHEYENNE, Wyo.. Jan. 19. -
Swinging from the report of the as
sociation's market committee, pre-
sented today, interest at the con-
vention of the American National
Livestock association turned to the
proposed increase in grazing fees on
national forests, given in the call for
the convention as one of the major
subjects to come up at the present
me citing.
A. F. Potter associate forester. of
Washington, summarized the govern
ment bureaus plans and reasons in
regard to the increased fees, and the
resolution committee, headed by w.
R. Morley of Datil, n. NJ, passed a
resolution protesting sharply against
the increase.
This resolution declared that per-
snittees already are paying full value
for the grazing privileges they hold;
that the fees paid are one-third
greater than the cost of administer
ing the grazing operations; that the
advance in fees is complete re-
Nersal of policy, which We very much
deplore," and that in the belief Of
the committee the reasons advanced
for the proposed raise are insuffi-
cicnt; wherefore, 1--WE do most Wig
orously and unanimously protest
against any raise in the fees now
charged for grazing on the national
forests
The resolution was based on about
"ne hundred protests filed with the
forest service and grazing lands COM
mittee 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 its makers
reasons for entering it:
IF an increase must be obtained
in the income of the forest service. it
is our feeling that it should he OBJ
tained from other sources than the
stock growing industry: stock raisers
already are paving their full pro rata
of the expense; that the permittees
are not enjoying any gratuitous priv
paid for their established right,
through long occupancy. llardships.
efforts and the expenditures of es-
tablshing their business.
we call your attention to the fact
that while nronoSed increase NAV
appear to be justified by the present
high prices for meat products, neither
the stock men nor forest service
has any means of knowing for low
long 4 time these prices will con-
tnue.
1T is our opinion that if snv raise
in the grazing fee be insisted upon
by the department of agriculture it
he only upon condition that the
rnones- so derived be expended for
the direct benefit Of the stock in
dustrv on the forests"
Stating the forest service side of
the case, Mr.. Potter said:
"A raise of $1,000, 900 in a lump
seems a large amount. but when di-
vided among the $4,000 peTmittees
"sinc the forest service ranges, it.
is reduced to an average of $50 each.
"The plan adopted harmoElzes with
the poilcv regarding charges for
other products OF the forests and
seems the fair thing to do when the
interests of all the people are con-
sidered.
THE best indication of what any
thing is worth is what people will
pay for it. We are sure that graz
i"~ on the national forests is worth
the price which is being charged be-
cause the demand for permits ex-
ceeds the supply of range. We are
turning away applicants eve~v YEAR
Mr.. Potter said he personally knew
for cattle grazed on the national for
est, with the grazing permit includ
ed in the sale He compares the
cost of grazing rights on and off ma
tional forests to the advantage of
he former. saving: Data was OBJ
tanned in a study of this question a
few years ago which showed that
the average price obtained for graz
ing On other lands was about three
times the price charged on national
forests
Therefore, the associate forester
continued. ''it appears that double the
present rates would not be an un-
reasonable charge"
The suggestion has been made
that it is not a good time to make
the proposed change because of the
fact that the cost of everything re-
nuired in coTpection with raising
livestock is so high that the business
Continued on Page Two