Arizona republican., 1919-07-11
STOCKMEN SEEK
 ]. 5. CONTROL IF
 PUBLIC DOMAIN
Representatives from All Parts of West to Meet in
 Salt Lake City July 21 to
 Urge Action by Congress

Livestock men, including representa- lives of all livestock association, from every part of the west will meet at Salt Lake City July 21 10 begin work toward securing control and grazing regulation of the more than 200,000.000 acres of public domain in the western states The meeting will last two or three days, and while in session steps will be taken to get congress to take legislative action for federal regulation of the lands
 The meeting at Salt Lake week from next Monday has been brought about largely through the efforts of the Arizona Cattle Growers association, which has taken the lead in the matter. The states affected will be Arizona, California, Colorado Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming. Minnesota, Washington and Oregon, the western states in which millions of acres of land are in public domain owned by the government but with no regulated grazing privileges. Livestock associations in all these states will have delegates at the Salt Lake meeting, as will the American National Livestock association and the National Wood Growers association.
 Many Different Rules
 The question of the public domain lands relative to cattle and sheep grow ing has always been uncertain. On the federal forest and Indian reservations livestock growers are given grazing privileges and charged a dollar a head . per year. On state lands the livestock men may lease grazing land at about three cents an acre per year. But graz ing on the public domain has never been regulated.
 Arizona cattle and sheep men have always been vitally interested in the public domain question. More than one-fourth of the states acreage, or 1000, 900 acres, is in this federal owned unregulated public domain. Open to all, it has always been an un- solved question. It has been used gen. orally for grazing purposes. with the ever present danger that it may be se- riously harmed by much overstocking, and no regulation to safeguard indi- 5idual users.
 Big Factor in Arizona
 Arizona livestock men-and the same conditions are found in other western states affected-have recognized that the public domain lands are big fac tor in their business and consequently have taken the lead in getting the do-
 
 ton is sought by which the stock grow CTS may obtain their grazing privileges In one way or another, and pay for them. Having obtained the grazing privileges the stockmen will be sure of their investment and may fence off their portions, safeguard their water, and take like protective measures.
 Under the present system, with no regulation, the public domains are used by everybody, and no one is willing to risk the investment on the domain ands with no regulation at all
 The question of federal control and regulation for the domain lands in the western states will be settled at the Salt Lake City conference July 21. Delegates from the livestock organiza- . tions of all the public land states will be there to take it up. and strong or ganization will be formed to get action m it at Washington.
 Arizona Men to Attend
 Cattle and sheepmen alike are inter ested. David F. Houston. secretary of agriculture and Clay Tallman, com missioner general of the land office, will also attend the meeting. while most of the states will have representa- ives from their universities.
 Arizona will be represented at the meeting by Charles F. Mullen. l.. L. Harmon, Dwight B. Heard. J. c. Kin . uey. F.. W. Coker and other delegates from the Arizona Cattle Growers as sociation. The delegation will be leaded by Mir. Mullen. head of the or sanization President KleinSmid of the University of Arizona. and Dean D. w. Working of the agricultural col ege will also attend.
 F. F.. Schneider, secretary of the Ari- 1oha association. who has taken d lead ing part in getting the meeting organ zed, will leave for Salt Lake City early next week to complete arrangements for the meeting