Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-03-28

the eneroaehment Of big sheep cor
pOratiOns from central California,
who are attaching the public ranges
Tor the sheep, These droyes are fill
ing the national forest range to such
an extent that the range Of the cattle
men is threatened TO be entirely de-
stroysd. In explanation Of the state
q affairs existing there the klamath
national forest headquarters have is
sued the following statement:
Two large sheep companies, the
Western Sheep OF Stockton and the
Erro Sheep OF Fresno, have leased all
the available railroad lands in the
county and will stock the range with
sheep. The forest service has no right
tc control the use of patented lands
and is absolutely non-partisan in the
issues between cattle and sheep men,
but it is governed solely in range al
lotment by the class of stock best
suited for the range as determined
by intensive reconnaissance. Fur
ther, war conditions demand all gov
ernment range to be stocked to its
full carrying capacity to supply the
natien's need for meat, wool and
leather, OF which there is an alarm
ing shortage. No range can be left
idle for local lack Of the kind Of stock
that reconnaissance gives it. Grant
ed that war conditions have made it
possible for the railroad company TO
lease its holdings within the forest
boundaries, it still remains our duty,
as co-operators in all community de-
yelopment, to carry out the third pur-
pose for the establishment of nation
al forests-namely, to provide for the
use Of all of the resources within the
national forests in the way which
will make them Of largest service to
the greatest number. We have a
great country, rich in natural re-
sources which must be developed to
meet the tide of rapid financial re-
turns now essential to all business
enterprises. The business world of
today knows not remoteness Of local
ity and will not stand back even for
lack of transportation. We must act
today and do things or else others
will come in on US and do the work
We are neglecting. For several years
the forest service has been pointing
OF to the stockmen of the county
the verything that has come to pass.
Every one was aware OF the vast
holdings of the railroad in the coun-
ty. The railroad offered the leases
to local residents, but they could not
see the necessity Of their getting the
controlling interest of this private
land under lease. Others have now
stepped in and secured the controll-
ing interest. This is only repetition
of the timber development of our
county where outside capital realized
the value of that which local interests
considered worthless, and acquired
in few years tracts OF timber lands
which will contribute perpetual au-
nual incomes to their owners. The
stock industry differs from the tim
Der industry in that the control of
grazing lands does not pass perpetu-
ally into the hands Of corporations
over night. Not only the government
but the railroad interests as well con-
slider the needs of local settlers para
mount to all others, and If the local
stockmen will grasp this opportunity
to pool their interests in such a man
ner as to take advantage Of the rap
idly changing conditions, both from
a financial standpoint and from our
national war needs, it is not yet too
late for them not only to develop a
great county industry but at the same
time to materially contribute to our
national war needs by a greatly in
creased output of meat, wool and
leather"