The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-02-04
Asks Big Sum
For Predatory
Animal Control
BY Harry Carlson

are penang III the montana leB1S-
1ature this week to aid the nations
war effort on the farm production
front.
Chief among these is one intro
duced by the house committee on
stockgrowing and grazing, calling
for an annual appropriation of
$4,000 for the control of predatory
animals, an expenditure which
would save the stockmen of the
state hundreds of thousands of dol
lars during the next biennium'
Rep. Charles L. Scofield, R., Pow
der River, chairman of the COM
mittee, said the present allowance
of $4,000 per year is far from suf-
ficient to effectively promote the
control work and said Montana
has been appropriating the smallest
amount of any western state for
this work, despite the fact we are
the third largest state in the area
and have the third largest sheep
population.
The proposal provides that the
money should be expended, as at
present by the livestock depart
ment in conjunction with the u. S.
Department of the Interior
Scofield said predatory animals
have caused big increase in dam
age throughout the state during the
past few months, due principally 70
a shortage of ammunition and the
drafting of experienced hunters.
THE situation is expected to be
worse in the spring when the lamb
ing camps are anticipating further
shorthandedness-and at a time
when coyotes alone are thicker than
they have been at any time in the
last 20 or 30 years." he said.
Another step toward solution of
the predatory animal control prob
lem is senate memorial to the fed
eral government asking priorities
for the purchase of ammunition for
such hunters.
A bill introduced in the house by
Reps. A. L. Atkinson and A. N. Nc
Daniel, both Lake county republi-
cans, would allow tax collectors to
levy on personal property bought
into the state after the first Monday
in March.
Commonly termed the migratory
stock law, the measure is modelled
on an Idaho law Livestock using
Montana ranges for only portion
of the year would be assessed pro-
portionately to the part of the year
it is in Montana.
Sen Wesley A. D'Ewart, r., Park,
said he would introduce measure
calling for approval by the legis
lature of the Yellowstone River
Compact shortly before a public
hearing, scheduled for Feb 4, is
held on the bill.
The compact, drawn up at a
meeting of representatives of Mon
tana, Wyoming and North Dakota
in Billings last month, provides for
division of waters of the Yellow
stone and its tributaries between
the three states for irrigation pur-
poses.
Before it becomes effective, the
agreement must be approved by the
legislature of the three states and
congress-
A new program for the admins
tration of state-oWned lands was
drawn up last week at meeting
of the senate and house land COM
mittees with state land board and
ranchers' organization officials.
The three-point program provides
for |, one hundred per cent leasing
of all state lands; 2, systematic and
uniform classification of state lands
based on productive capacity, and
3, administrative requirements rec
ognizing the necessity Of maintain
ing economic units.
Under the third point, the pro-
gram contemplates recognizing the
practical and conservative limits
within which grazing or farm rent
ais can be established through COM
petitive bidding and observing
the practical and conservative linn
its within which the sale price can
be established through competitive
bidding"
a similar step in the form of a
bill was taken by Rep. Neil Parker,
r., Flathead, to carry out recon-
mendation of Gov. Sam G. Ford in
his biennial message that he be au-