The Coconino sun., 1925-10-09
THE STOCKMEN AND
STATES CONTROL

dSSOCldltbii III NOnNClIbAOAt at OeNiO AeeAA~
City does not take kindly to the pro-
position for state control of the public
domain which has been advocated in
this state and which is said to have
received the private assent of two
members of the subcommittee OF the
senate public lands committee, though
they would probably not go so far as
to include that recommendation IN
public report.
1t is the opinion of the association
that the stock growers need the fed
eral governments continued strict
regulation }of the public domain,
though they favor a remodeling of the
regulations to meet the changing con-
ditions of the stock growing industry.
Undoubtedly some of the regulations
have been outgrown. The shrinking
of the range has made it necessary
that what remains shall be so improv-
ed by the extension of protection that
it will support a much larger number
of cattle and sheep.
1t is pleasing to note that in the
meeting of the sheep growers section
of the association there was none OF
that hostility to the forestry bureau
which was reflected in the public
hearings of the subcommittee which
were held in this state a few months
ago. The sheep men found no fault
with the personnel of the bureau but
with what seemed to them to be an
outgrown system. They advise
changes in the, leasing system which
are no doubt needed; the giving to
lease holders greater security than
they now enjoy; the right to make inn
provements, to increase the support
ing power of their ranges; the. privl-
lege of fencing and otherwise increas-
ing the value of their leases, which
are not now granted to them, all of
which appears reasonable. They pro-
pose another change which would at
any rate prevent much friction be-
tween leaseholders and the govern
ment agents-a provision that DIS
putes should be settled in the federal
courts instead of being settled by the
regulations of the department under
what have been called bureau laws.
In the end the decisions might not be
more favorable to stockmen-disput-
ants, but the latter would enjoy the
satisfaction of having had their day
in court.
But the convention has advocated
nothing revolutionary. 1t could only
have been expected that body COM
posed of the foremost and most far
seeing men in the stock growing IN
dustry should oppose the state control
proposition which would throw the
public domain into state politics, and
the industry into uncertainty and
chaos.
State politics of land administra-
ton would be determined by the pros
pect of votes, or rather by blocs of
votes. There would be republican
policy and an opposing democratic
policy. The policies would be oppos-
ing only because groups OF leaders
of the two parties were opposed to
each other in the scramble for offices
from constable to United States sena-
tor.
The great mass of the people would
feel no direct interest in the pubic
land policy of the state. Nobody
would be directly interested in it ex-
cept a considerable part of the stock
growers, and even many of them
would be swayed by the attitude OF
the party to which they belonged
rather than by their own interests
In all the states the local govern
ments have been given measure OF
control over lands which were former
ly a part of the public domain and in
nearly all of them has there been
gross mismanagement, favorltlsm IN
administration, corruption, dissipation
of the lands, and in the case OF Arl-
zona, a reckless dissipation of the pro
ceeds of the sale and leases of the
lands in violation of a solemn corn-
pact for their preservation for educa-
tional and other specific purposes
There are already in state politics
enough things for the parties IN the
states to quarrel about-most of them
things which should never have be-
come political issues and which have
suffered by reason of having beer
made political issues.
Not only are the stockmen concern
ed with the strong federal protection
of the public domain, the ranges ano
the forests. The farmers in the val
ley are no less vitally concerned in the
protection of their watersheds which
under federal control is now ample
1t is unfortunate that this protection
was not given earlier that years age
it was not thrown about the oper
range When the earlier settlers came
to Arizona, there were flat or gently
sloping mesas over which one coult
drive a wagon in any direction without
obstruction. Now these areas are cut
by deep and>impassable gullies, some
of them resembling canyons. In many
of the smaller streams there wa:
water for considerable part of the
year. Now, we have only the ex
tremes of dry beds and roaring tor
rents which quickly pass away. Those
were the happy o-as-you-please-dayi
when free American citizens were no
interfered with in the process of th'
destruction of the open range.-Ari
zona Republican.
AArn rrII Au3C NNIIX