The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-02-22
cHALL1s, IDA. wEDNEsDA FEBRUARY %. 1922
REM|SS|0NIB BILL
IS INTRODUCED
FEES ON FORESTS FOR
YEAR OF 1922

The secretary of me Idaho State
Cattle and Horse Growers Association
Is in receipt of letters from Idaho's
delegation in Congress concerning
the movement started by this associa
ton for the remission of the payment
of grazing fees on the national forests
for the year 1922
The communication states that this
| movement was first presented to Sec
reary, Henry Wallace, of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, who writes Con
gressman Smith as follows:
I'VE have received here similar sug
gest!ons. I think everyone in ~
Department IL In entire sympath.
with the western stock growers who
are suffering under burdensome con
ditions. They are not. however. pecu1
~ to the stockgrowers. As you
| know, farmers in most sections Of the
country are having similar difficulties
The suggestion that the grazing fees
for 1922 be- remitted brings up some
interesting questions.
| The annual receipts from these
grazing fees are in the ueighborhool
Of $2,500,000. A remission of these
fees will be equivalent to q loan BY
the Government Of that amount. Less
than twenty-five per cent Of the stock
growers in the western states use the
! National forest ranges, and the remis
| sion of these fees would therefore
a special loan to this twenty-five pc.
| cent. :
"a similar question might be raisec
by the people who buy lumber growI
in the National Forests. Might the.
not by the same line of reasoning urge
that they should have the lumber
free? Might not the same argumen,
be made by anyone who Is purchasing
from the Government?
I'VE are inclined to the belief tha,
financial relief at the hands of tn,
Government ought to be made availa
BILE through special Congressional act
ion, which would not discriminate be
tween individuals. The stock grow
ers who use the National forests oc
cupy q foYored position. ,inasmuch a.
the present tees are less than the com
merctal value Of the forests. while
their preferences for forest range con
stitute tangible and valuable asses
The demand tor range Is far create
than the supply and ! suspect thai
| nauiy stockgrowerS who are no: "
favorably situated as are those using
National forest range would we.come
the opportunity to 90 so and Jay the
full commercial value.
I'm view OF all this l do not belie;
the Department can consistently en-
dorse complete remission of the
grazing fees for the season of 1922
II financial aid IL to be extended t.
the stockmen in these regions, the:-
II would be better to make it available
to all soockmen, and those who us,
ranges could use their .'ortion of it :,
pay FIR the range used.
"Ileese understand that am n
ccEtl iete sympathy x;th the we.;terl
storkmen and will ;::.adly do eI.r.5
thtt: which seems proper to do &C
he. , relieve the situation. AS yoJ
kno'v. the Department was glad te
recommend to Congress a postpone
ment Of payment of range te>s last
year. We cannot, hOwc.--. recon-
mend the remission of hese fees"
| The secretarv NJ the association
states it vas eynected the department
presiding over the bureau OF forestr,
would raise objections to the move
ment and that It w~u!d be necessar.
to carry the rnatter on to Congress
This has been done; Senator Boral
having presented the following bill IL
the Senate Of the United States OF
February Srd.
A BILL
Remitting the grazing fees for thu
use Of the national forests for th'
calendar year of 1922.
Be it enacted by the Senate ant
House Of Representatives of the Uni
ted States Of America in Congress as
sembled. That the payment Of graz
ing fees for the use Of the national TO
ests as provided by existing law shall
be remitted for the calendar year O
! 1922.
The secretary of the Idaho Stat,
Cattle and Horse Growers Associa