The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1947-08-01
The Planned Public Land Steal

proposal by public committee to hold public
hearings in the western states this contains omi
Implications The personnel of the committee lends cred
ence TO the suspicion that the hearings are INTENDED TO provide
support for the by the livestock and woogroWer
associations to get possession of 145OOO0O of public
ultimately acquire ownership $4,000 OOC
grazing This public grab already
been pubcized in this publication planned at meeting
of the two associations held early this Denver An
by Vee the July &c Golfers tells the
complete of this plan by 10000 livestock
of lands comprising half the of Is states
The public lands committee prior the present
chared by Hardin Peterson Florida democratic
called by Mr. Vee an ardent watchdog of the public lands
appears be pretty we'll owned by the livestock
tons The chairman of the committee Frank A. Bar
ret known to be anxious to the public domain
private ownership be noted that Congressman D.
Ewart OF the second Montana congressional district also
member of this committee and surely be depended
look with favor anything that the livestock interests
want The senate public lands committee headed by Sem
Edward Robertson, "sheep-man" of Wyoming
his focks public lands former vice president of the
Wyoming Stock Growers Association and still member of
the National Livestock Association of the organizations
plotting the land grab Both of these chairman
nzed according the Golfers article members of the Cow
Bloc Of special interest here Montana the circumstance
that Buddy Ecton, himself sockman is also member of
the senate public lands committee.
According the plan of the livestock associations,
drive will be have the sell to the approximately
10000 ranchers grazing the lands and to them only the
with down payment of 10 cent and the balance
to be paid off in 30 And in this 55 bills have
been introduced the of small number of which would
have opened the door to this monumental steal which
other evils would have permitted the catemen and umbermen
and other interests to invade our national parks and forests
and exploit their natural resources.
the stockmen stooges the for
get the public the of the One
cited the argument by them that the
under which Hawaii should be admitted state Hawaii the
should ownership public belonging
to Hawaii the territory Had this been DONE it would of
have established precedent under which would not
have been logical deny ownership state of the public
lands within its borders Without attempt subterug
Senator Robertson of Wyoming proposed in bill that public
lands the property of all Americans be turned the
which they there the probably
would be the livestock associations
the state legislatures the lands the ockmen
the prOvera Of there also examples of
efforts these lands of public ownership the
public Hatch New Mexico proposed that
twothds of the public in his state be sold and the
money used for public institutions there This again would
have created precedent for the other Ii public land states
Another instance of for the public good evidenced
introduced by Representative Barrett of Wyo
ming which proposed that the federal lands of Wyoming be
sold the stokmen top price of $125 and the
money be given to the state university.
Storms protest against the unconsconable land steal
rather called halt in the of the legislation
finally accomplish the purpose However the stockmen had
the hole having thoroughly reactonay congress
do their bidding AS result appropriations for policing the
public ands rasticay reduced that they
practical control of the grazing lands just they actually
owned them The grazing service which formerly had diff
Guilty enforcing regulations with $50
inspectors, only 80 which federal nspec
ton of the the entire force possible to employ
petely occupied with paper work
What the drain this natural the grazing lands
has done by insufficient control and supervision evident
the public lands will feed less than half the