The Coconino sun., 1925-06-19


ing recent years, though grazing fees
increased and said he was at loss tc
! understand this apparent discrimilat-
ton.
NJ /. Powers Of Flagstaff, banker
sheepman and cattleman, said banks
! endeavoring to aid stockmen. He
said he believed the government
should not commercialize grazing any
more than it does the postal service
i or the navy, but should encourage
| stockmen to remain in business to re-
/ duce prices to consumers. In his case,
his sheep on forest had been reduced
| and forest service had notified him
/ of a 40 per cent decrease still to come,
which he said, amounted to serving
notice that he was to be put out of
business. He recommended creation
of board of appeals, as forest serv-
ice now judge and jury. Mr. Powers
is against turning public domain over
! to state.
A. G. Dickson, cattleman, said
waiver of grazing fees during next
two years is absolutely necessary ii
industry is to survive. Will take five
to ten years for cattlemen to get back
on their feet.
! I. p. Pollock, Flagstaff cattle and
sheep man, said that western stock
! men will be driven out of business by
Argentine cattle and Australian sheep,
those governments being lenient in
their policy toward range users, unless
the U. S. government becomes more
lenient. He recommended the sale of
tbs public domain, with preference to
prior users. Urged necessity of the
establishment of an appeal board, with
representation given stockmen.
Mr.. Pollock severely criticized the
indian service, saying the reservation
superintendent refuse sheepmen
practicable trails across reservations
between winter and summer ranges
and bottle them up with their herds.
Many Indian agents are arbitrary and
typrannical toward stocllmen, he said
and have no regard for their interests
He said the government has gone into
the cattle business through Indian
agents running tl>Dal herds and gives
unfair competition to American stock
neither grazing fees nor taxes. Stock
of white men is being crowded off the
reservations, he said, to make room
for tribal herds controlled by agents
He denied that individual Indians are
going into the livestock business to
any great extent, but asserted that
the business is mainly run by reserva-
ton superintendent.
Bert j. Golfer, Springerville cattle
man, whose stock runs both on the
forest and the reservation, said cuts
ordered in herds by Indian agent
would reduce herds below point of
profit. Asked that reservation graz
ing fees be waived same as recently
temporarily ON forests. He said it is
impossible for the cattlemen to pay
reservation cattle for summer season
only. Said he'd made many expensive
range improvements; then herds had
been reduced under forestry orders
to make room for newcomers and be
had lost much of his investment. Col
ter is for turning remaining public do
main over TO state.
James Scott of Pinedale, sheepman |
for 45 years, said many stockmen are |
afraid to speak up for fear of injury |
at the hands of forest officials. Mr. |
Scott says he will have to sell out his |
cattle because he can't pay the dollar |
seventy-five fee demanded by Indian
department for year-long permit. Last /
year he did not sell steer and had |
to pay the fees out of his sheep busi- |
ness. Recommended selling public do
main SO as to get it on TO tax rolls.
Mr. Scott, John Nelson of Heber
and u. A. Sawyer of Winslow testi- I
fled that forest mismanagement of /
sheep trails between summer and VIM /
ter grazing aleas is forcing them out |
of business. When forests were es-
tablished trails were four miles wide.
Since then, forestry bureau has coun-
fencing in parts of trails by
and enclosing of water
holes until trails have been narrowed I
along their entire length and in some
places are not more than 400 years
vide So many water holes have been
enclosed on trails by sanction OF the
Of the Tonto, Sitgreaves,
Prescott and Coconino forests that IN
places QlSIdLCS O6tWCSH WSltSl HVlSfe -
is miles. Conditions now SO bad, they
testified, that it is impossible to trail
sheep between seasonal ranges. They /
asserted that in some cases forest
rangers sit on hill-tops with spy
glasses and count the sheep which get
off the trails in narrow places and
then assess the owners heavy dam
ages.
1t was stated that hundreds OF
thousands of dollars are spent by the
sheepmen each winter for feed with
Salt River valley and other farmers.
which will be lost to those agricul-
turists if the sheepmen are bottled up
by the trails being closed.
Several witnesses along this line
said sheep start fat at one end OF
trail and arrive at other end poor, with
enormous death losses. They said
they can't stand it any longer and un-
ess elief is extended by restoration
IF trails they will have to go out OF
business.
State Representative Harry B. En-
bach of Flagstaff, secretary Arizona
association, testified
hat sheep owners are losing half
million dollars year through these