15 



and when range herds of cattle or flocks of sheep invade them their sup- 

 port is destroyed. 



The laud commission, designated to select State lauds in 'Wyoming, 

 has received applications from such settlers, which aggregate over a half 

 million acres, for the selection of grazing lauds adjoining their farms, and 

 there is no knowing what these aapplications would aggregate if the said 

 commission had not given uotice that no further requests of this kind would 

 be considered at the present time. The number of these requests and the 

 statements made by applicants can lead to but one conclusion: that the 

 need for relief in this matter is urgent; that the injury which is being 

 wrought from this omission is serious and widespread. Man}' of these 

 ranchmen state that their ability to support themselves Hud their families, 

 their ability to remain citizens of this State, rests entirely upon some relief 

 being afforde^; which relief must give them the opportunity to use and 

 control the grazing lands contiguous to their farms. Now, this question, 

 so full of serious import to Wyoming, is a matter of no consequence to 

 California, of no consequence whatever to Kansas, to Dakota, to Nebraska, 

 and the only way in which we can expect it to receive adequate and intelli- 

 gent treatment is by the transfer of its management to those who under- 

 stand it and have a vital interest its proper solution; and that authority is 

 the State. 



I am in favor of the transfer of ihis matter to the State, because I be- 

 lieve in that way homes can be secured for the homeless at less cost than 

 if the work is placed under the control of the national government. I 

 believe that ditches built by the State, or by private parties under the 

 supervision of the State, will be better built, will be built at less cost than 

 if built under the control and supervision of the United States; and if th& 

 settler is to pay for this, the settler is the one to be beuefitted by the eco- 

 nomical procedure. 



I believe that Wyoming, of all the arid States, is the last one to look 

 with favor ou a surrender of the control of this matter to ihe national gov- 

 ernment. We occupy the crest of this continent, we have in our mountains 

 the greatest store-house of water in the whole arid region. If the solution 

 of this question is left to us, if we are given the means to carry on this recla- 

 mation, then the extent of our development will only be limited by the 

 extent of our opportunities, Jf this matter 'is transferred to the United 

 States then our development will not depend upon our opportunities, but 

 upon the influence of the States below us. 



The only objection \vhich I have ever heard urged to the transfer of 

 the entire control of this matter to the State has been the contention that 

 State legislatures are essentially dishonest; that State legislatures can 

 not be entrusted with the management of so great a trust. I have never 

 believed that that objection was a valid one because in the first place it 

 is not necessary, it is not desired that an absolute grant be made from 

 the United States to the Stale. All that is desired is that the grant be 

 made conditionally; that the State be made a trustee; that the general 

 conditions under which these lands are to be administered and reclaimed 

 be fixed by congress and that on the failure of any State to comply with 

 those conditions that congress bj authorized to again assume control. 



I do not believe it, because to admit that the State authorities are 



