, 1921-12-29

De ousted. / am
Yours respectfully,
JAMES j.. FENLEY.
The above has been received by
the Wyoming Stockman-Farmer and
is published also in the Tribune be-
cause It Is a matter OF public inter-
est. AS a matter Of fact neither the
Stockman-Farmer nor the Tribune
understands the exact policy Of the
state board of livestock commission
ers. Previous boards thought 1t ad-
visable to publish monthly lists OF
new brands and transfers OF brands
As we'll as inspections at market
centers, because Wyoming is essen
TALLY a cattle state.
Former boards believed that 1t
was money we'll spent and stated that
the board has ample funds which
may be used for this purpose, at least
for new brands and transfers. For
merly 1t was the custom to give out
extensively news items. both to the
Tribune and Stockman-Farmer. For
the last two or three years the public
has known little-or nothing Of the
doings OF the board. The routine
business has been carried on Just
the same and satisfactorily so, no
doubt. But the policy Of the board
has been apparently against pub
lfcity. At least it has not initiated
any.
Why official lists Of new brands.
brand transfers and estrays should
moi be published regularly in a wyo-
ming livestock paper going to thou
sands Of ranchmen in Wyoming is
difficult to understand. When 1t was
done the ranchmen greatly appreciat-
ed It.
Neglect Of such publicity cannot be
Justified upon grounds OF economy.
The people are entitled to know what
Is doing.
On December 22nd the Cheyenne
Tribune published the following
article In which the members of the
State Board Of Livestock Commits
sioners and Secretary NJ. E. Pickett
make q very satisfactory reply to the
letter Of Mr.. Fenley:
Placing the blame, II blame there
is. squarely upon the shoulders OF
the Wyoming Stock Growers associa-
ton for the failure to publish the list
Of cattle estrays In this state. the
state board Of livestock commission
ers today made a more or less warm
reply to the letter OF former State
Representative James J. Fenley's let
ter, published in Tuesdays Tribune
Leader asking why there has been no
such publication.
I'VE have repeatedly demanded
that the proceeds from estrays be
turned over to us so that they may
be advertised" says the boards
reply. but the officers of the Wyo-
ming Stock Growers association have
failed to do so. There is only one
way to correst this evil. That is for
the Wyoming Stock Growers asso-
citation to turn the estray money over
to this board as required by law"
The Fenley letter has been the
one big topic of conversation among
the many stockmen gathered in
Cheyenne this week for the meetings
OF the state board OF livestock COM
missioners and the joint sessions of
the county assessors and commission
ers Of Wyoming.
The livestock commissioners hint
in their letter hat they will go into
court, II necessary, to secure the
estray money, but they also relate
that they desire to cooperate with
the board and to avoid litigation II
a way out of The present difficulty
can be found. Their statement fol-
lows:
cheyenne. Wyo.. Dec. 22.-Mr.
James J. Fenley. shoshoni, Wyo.,
Care Tribune and Stockman-Farmer.
| Dear Sir: AS your letter Of recent
date. was addressed to the press, we
take 1t that you desire 1t answered
| through the same medium.
THE inspection Of cattle at market
centers is made by men employed
and paid by the Wyoming Stock
Growers association. but the board
LOT live stock commissioners has at
times contributed to the salaries of
these inspectors. The inspectors are
required by their employers to remit
the proceeds OF all estrays to that
association. and, as they are en-
ployes Of the association we cannot
compel them to do otherwise. From
time to time proceeds from a portion
OF the estrays has been turned over
to this board, by which 1t has been
promptly advertised and every claim
| paid to the rightful owner, II ,the
claim was proven. The last list OF
estrays was received On May 8, 1890
and was advertised according to Law.
"since that time we have repeat.
edly demanded that the proceeds
from estrays be turned g to us 80