HOW ELK MAY BE SAVED 265 



Though Wyoming claims absolute ownership 

 of the elk within her borders and puts her 

 claims above those of the Federal government, 

 the elk, as well as all the ranges here in ques- 

 tion, are within United States forest reserves, 

 including Jackson's Hole. Wyoming in claim- 

 ing ownership has also asserted and reiterated 

 that these elk are of greater economic value than 

 all the domestic livestock in the State, and it is 

 true that the elk are a source of considerable 

 revenue to her. It seems, therefore, but just 

 that some part of the money brought into the 

 State treasury through the elk should be used 

 to guard the animals from suffering, particu- 

 larly in the face of the further fact that it has 

 been demonstrated that this is feasible. In view 

 of her claims of ownership and her high valu- 

 ation of the elk, the country at large is war- 

 ranted in expecting her to act on ordinary bus- 

 iness principles and to care for them just as any 

 farmer would care for his stock, by feeding them 

 in seasons when the ranges become inadequate 

 to support them. Thus she might incidentally 

 prove that she is "able to take care of her own 

 property without outside interference." 



Humanity demands that she do this, or in the 

 event of her failure to do so that the Federal 

 government take possession of the herds. In 



