The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1954-10-22
Because Metcalf & Murray were on the
job, D'Ewart, Barrett, ct al, failed in their
attempts to turn the Public Domain over to
large stockgrowing interests.
By ARTHUR H. CARHART
Reprinted from SPORTS AFIELD Magazine,
May, 1854
By ARTHUR II. CARHART


Outdoor folk and many others hit the warpath seven
years ago when SPORTS AFIELD published This Is
Your Land That article spotghted unsavory scheme
concocted by small group of sockmen who bent
getting quantities of western public land for
themselves.
This clique captured control of national livestock
organizations. They claimed represent" the entire
livestock industry They didn't. But they in the
official saddle and they brewed up plot designed to
deliver millions of of forest, park other
public property to just select few of their kind.
Here the essentials of that preposterous propo-
sition
They wanted the right to buy any all of the 100
million acres we own in the Taylor Grazing lands. Of
the 136 million of national forests in IL
states IS million would have been opened to
sale. Even grasslands within national parks and
coveted by this clique If there grass
in the park meadows by goy those sections should be
turned to stockmen
Only people who currently holding grazing per-
mts would have been allowed buy lands covered by
such permits There would have been bidding. Just
the favored few would have been eligible. The price
would have been based only on the forage values
Based on estimated grazing values, the land might
have been bought for little six cents acre. with
top price of around three dollars. Buyers the prvi-
legged ones, would have had Is years decide on buy
ing so additional to pay out with interest the
unpaid balance at z per cent
The forests and Taylor lands always have been the
foundation for open free hunting and fishing in all the
West Sportsmen go into them without "No Tres
passing signs barring the way.
shows four million head of various Species mostly
wholly dependent for continued existence these
nationally owned lands The trout of the West
are largely these public properties. Sportsmen in all
sections of country have a stake in these lands
There other values lands Timber, water
shed protection; and abundant recreation in camping
hiking, and pack trips. These lands rich in natural
wealth of many kinds, and still hold clear unclouded
title to them.
But certain greedy stockmen don't want it that way
That article, This Is Your Land, SPORTS AFIELD,
April 1947 aroused the public The stockmen's bills"
became such hot potatoes that the crones of
the proponents would introduce them.
desperate attempt to rescue the deal made as
Congressman Frank A. Barrett of Wyoming led his
House Subcommittee Public Lands into the West for
a series of Hearings"
The hearings rgged packed and loaded pro
duce the Fright" kind of testimony, the shows
The unfarness of these affairs touched off flaming
resentment throughout West deluge of scathing
editorials damned the tactics Before the last scheduled
hearings were held the subcommittee called them off
Several western members of Congress who iden-
titled with this wld west show" of Mr. Barrets didn't
return to Washington after the next election
The "Great Land Grab, this campaign became
known, was drowned out in public Indignation
The Land-Grab Gang stunned. They whimpered
about being misunderstood. Also, they were sore as a
boil about being soundy whipped They started to
boiler about being prosecuted by bureaucratic satrap
They vented their spleen particularly the u S. Forest
Service.
Did the hghand-mighty land-grab gents stay licked?
They did
The vast expanse Of the Taylor Grazing lands already
were under stockmen dominance Legislation sponsored
by soemen interests had Quilted old Grazing Service
by cutting appropriations.
With these "bureaucrats" rendered impotent and
with oca advisory boards" made up stocman-users
running the show these lands of ours the livestock
interests figured they could up the Taylor Graz
ing properties Let the people these ands the stock
men had them in the bag
Get the Forest Service! That outfit must be given
"the treatment" Harass, dscredit, abuse, undermine
those fellows-that was the business in hand Break
down public confidence in these men; put the fear
them. Do all this and it will be easier to take the
national forests since the Taylor had already be-
come captive property.
The of Earl D. Sandvg sets the general pattern.
Sandvg was Assistant Regional Forester in the Rocky
Mountain Region He in charge of forest grazing.
His regional chief John w. Spencer, of for
tude and honesty These men accepted their obliga-