Montana labor news., 1949-12-15

al tiic NpNhN M'hlAsA'' 'p''N"'
Association. Butte.
Emphatic and determined oppo-
>ition ha, been voiced by the rep
rcscntatiycs al sport>mcns assoc
iarions To the current plans ior kill
ing oil the Yellowstone Park elk.
q, published in this paper and the
various dailicS oi western Montana
These organizations deplorc what
the, term a concerted plan To de-
s,ro, the wildliic oi Montana. and
charge tina, predatory livestock in
ierc,,s and sub>crNicnt persons III
public office are improperly COM
niyine with them. These rcprc>en
lalivcs state III effect ~ follows:
Organized Stockmen want the grass
The determined drive to cxtcr-
inmate certain valuable big game
ANIMALS from the public domain
originates in >rockmen's asSocla
ton, aided hy their satellite, IN
chambers oil commerce and their al
lies in those indu,tric, which als''
derive profit IRON exploitation 81
natural resources. The aNoWcd ID
lcsliyc-amuns llicm>clNe>-i> Ia
secure the puhlir grazing lands Tor
cattle and sheep. and 10 destroy with
out mercy any Wild grazing OF brow
zinp animals native io the corntr,
who compete with domestic live
stock Tor grass Ia eat. Man> de
cent livestock men are out at SYM
pathy with this attitude, but they
are dominated or uNerrulcd by the
powerful groups and Individuals
who run the livestock associations
Game Management" a Red
Herring
The drive NOW IN rrnerc>, y
slaughter no one knows how many
thousands oi the Yellowstone elk.
~masuucradcs under the labels OF
game management and "con>crva-
lion" and represents I" the public
tia, the real purpose Of the pro-
posed slaughter is to preserve the
game herds instead OF DESTROYING
them. No group would dare /,
come out IN the open and dcclar,
that they want to slaughter the ell
merely to make room ior sheep ant
cattle. Not any more, though III,
day is not so long ago when they
were bold enough and powerful
enough to say that and get away
with it. But now they claim 10 BE-
friends Of the Sportsmcn and de
clare they wish to keep the elk iron
starving. therefore the only cours,
Ia take is to kill them oii-all bu
a very few to be kept iur breedin.
stock.
OveIstocking Never Proved
The sportsmcn's association sa.
they have repeatedly challenged tn
Spokesman ior elk slaughter to prov
their case BY showing the exact con
ditions. and that the challenge ha
never been met, They never dis
close the acreage Of grass or tn
carrying capacity per acre per llca'
oi game. They never give the basi
pi their estimate Of the size Of III
heard, but merely climb on a ped
cstal Of infallibility and say, Nv
are experts, and you have got t
take what we announce Some q
these public officers made them
selves ridiculous about a month ar
hy stating the herd to be 5000 i
number. and then gave the assoc
lated press a statement only
month later that it numbered II,
600 1000 elk calves born IN No
,cmbcr is going some, and involve
the period OF CESSATION being re
duced to about four weeks.
should require at least an act OF tn
Montana legislature To make the q
pro-creatc as II; idly as that.
Range Depleted by Whom?
When challenged Tor absence {
evidence. they fall back on the state
mcnt that the range is depleted
Well. does that prove that the ell
ate all the grass. when it is we
known and admitted that so man
horses are allowed to Craze on tn
Yellowstone Park grass lands tia
they eat even the hay that is PIT
out Tor the buffalo herd, and a
the buffalo get is the fecal matte
left bv the horses. Every possibl
or probable factor causing dcpletio
oi the range is ignored except III
presence of the elk herd Nothill
is proved.
Sportsmen Say 1900 Elk Could
Easily Be Placed
At a meeting OF the Rocky Moui
tain Sportsmen Tuesday evenin!
discussion BY various members dc
vcloped the conclusion that at lea.
1850 elk could be transplantcd
the area surrounding Butte. Dee
Lodge and Drummond, In we
oi this, the association decided
contact Regional Forester Hanso
at Missoula, asking that he ape;
nj a meeting OF the association
discuss the sharing of federal lane
between stockmen and wildlii
rather than the stockmcn contin,
ing to treat these lands as the
" private grazing preserves. II
sportsmn are willing to 90 So
ON the use OF these federal land
Another interesting item broueI
out Tuesday night was that the PA
Service has only n trap. with whl'
TO catch elk for transplanting. II
association has wired Senator Mu
ray urging that he ccure cooper.
ton OF Interior Secretary Csc,
Chapman in providing addition
trapping facilities. Other Interest,"
people are also asked to wire Sc
ator Murray on this matter.
The Case for Transplanting
The sportsmen declare that the
!; room in the national forests wit