The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-01-19
ST0CKMEN HAVE
THEIR INNINGS
ON THE TAXES
Committee of Grazing
Association Attack
Trego's Tax
Article
MEETING IS HELD
Grazing Land Lies In
Bingham and Bonne-
vile Counties

AAe StOChmeH OF tno Eastern
Idaho Grazing association have hello
a meeting, at which there was an
extended discussion Of the article
published in The Idaho Republican
OF the eighth of December, regard.
ing the testimony Of M. M. Farmer
who was subpoenaed to testify be.
fore the board of commissioners re.
=, garding the grazing fees paid by
members of the association for stock
on the lease In the summer of 1921.
Comparison was made of the a.
sessment rolls Of Bingham county.
with the ledger of the secretary.
MR.. Farmer, OF the association, and
1t showed much stock recorded for
grazing rights that did not appear
on the tax roll Of Bingham county.
The stockmen at their meeting ap-
pointed a committee consisting Of
James Just, president of the associa-
ton, R. e. Hansen, John Coumerilh
and Ira Hogan to meet with the
county commissioners and to request
the presence of Editor Trego, to re-
view the matter and hear the stock
mems side of the matter, and to re.
quest Trego to make any corrections
OF errors that might be found, and
to place the stockmen's statements
before the public. .se
The meeting was held on Tuesday.
the seventeenth Of January, with
Commissioners Williams and Miller
present, and r. e. Hansen and James
Just representing the association,
and Editor Trego, present all the
time and Representative P. G. Johns
ton present part of the tmie and
being questioned regarding methods
and customs Of the range along the
borders OF the counties IN question.
MI just stated that he had made
careful comparison Of the official
records and the newspaper article
In question, and found that they
were as nearly the same as two re-
ports could be expected to be made
by different men unless they had
shorthand report.
Where Leased Lands Are ....
The stockmen directed attention
to the fact that the leased lands of
the grazing association lie in Bing-
ham and Bonneville counties and
Qsrhaps about equally divided along
the borders of both counties, and
tnat this matter was not brought out
Dy either writer, and unless the
reader knew it before he read the
article, he would be likely to assume
that all Of it was in Bingham county,
whose taxes were the subject of the
Investigation.
In reply to Mr.. Just's charge that
this matter should have been
brought out in the article, the COM
and the editor agreed
that Mr.. Farmer made such state
ment and that in the beginning of
his remarks and afterwards repeated
that he did not know what part OF
the lease the stock ranged on; that
ne was only testifying as to what
his books showed they had bought
privileges foH. They agreed that
altho they were only concerned with
tax records on the Bingham county
side, yet in fairness to all, the rec
ord and the newspaper article should
have explained that part Of the lease
lay outside of our county.
Mr.. Just and Mr.. Hansen ex- ,
planned that the stock range back
and forth across the county lines,
md also range in Caribou county on ,
public domain that is not included
n the lease, and on the forest re- ,
serve. Mr.. Just stated that the stock
.urned loose in that country would
'e likely to range fully half of their
line in Bonneville and Caribou {
counties and perhaps even more, so +
hat Bingham county would not be
entitled to assess them for more than
lalf OF the summer and he doubted
whether it would be that much. P.
Johnston was asked about that,
md he stated that if thousand cat t
lie brought in as they are from Gen. c
lie valley and turned loose along v
he border, he thought that 500 of s
hem would be found in Caribou
ounty as against 200 in Bingham. n