I 9 o 4 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 477 



for, and that the problems of the now posed providing for the leasing of all 



depleted range are largely those of re- grazing lands at the same rate per acre 



construction for a failing country, occu- of rental. When it is considered that 



pied by more or less conflicting inter- different grazing districts may easily re- 



ests, by cattle, sheep, and goats, by quire all the way from 3 to 60 acres to 



large companies, and by small individ- support a single cow, the unjust dis- 



uals. crimination against the more desert 



There are few remaining to defend ranges of a horizontal rate-per-acre 



the old order of " free grass for all," for lease law is too evident to require dis- 



this regime, satisfactory enough when cussion. 



there was grass for all, has, with the The leasing idea, nevertheless, has a 



failure of the ranges, demonstrated its good foundation in the fact that it recog- 



own ruinousness. nizes that in order to place the grazing 



THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM. industries on a stable basis ^ockmcn 



like farmers, must have control of the land 



The problem confronting range in- upon which they operate ; but methods 



terests at this time is to devise land laws have not yet been proposed for an open 



which shall enable a maximum popula- and equitable division of grazing lands 



tion to support itself in a pastoral coun- among applicants therefor, 



try, and to make these laws so flexible The permit system, also, in one form 



as to apply to all grades, both best and or another, has many advocates possi- 



poorest, of grazing lands, harmonize all bly largely for the reason that 'this 



kinds of stock interests thereon, and method has been put into practice on 



provide for the often unexpected devel- forest and Indian reserves, and its re- 



opment, through irrigation, of agricult- suits are known to those who would ex- 



ural lands within formerly purely graz- pect to take advantage of it. The per- 



ing districts. mit system, however, is practically no 



The existing conditions are those of a better than free range with a tax added 



country reduced by overgrazing and bad to the stockman's expenses and a more 



management to a fraction of its possible or less unsuccessful attempt on the part 



value, and requiring to be fenced, re- of the government to regulate the num- 



seeded, repaired, and protected in order ber of animals in a specified district. 



to even partly restore that value. As under the free regime the stockman 



is not protected by assurance of perma- 



UNSATISFACTORY REMEDIES PROPOSED. , 



nent or long-continued tenure ot his 



Practically the only proposals thus range, he consequently desires to get 



far made to remed}^ existing conditions the whole value out of his concession 



are to lease the public lands in blocks at while it lasts, and often yields to the 



stated rents, or to issue permits to indi- temptation to place more animals upon 



viduals to run stated numbers of animals his territory than his permit calls for. 



upon specified portions of the public The destructive effects of the permit 



range. system as they are to be seen on certain 



The unsatisfactory nature of these Arizona reservations are not reassuring 



proposals is attested in part by their re : as to the good results of this method in 



peated rejection by one or another fac- practice. 



tion of those concerned and for reasons AUSTRALIAN EXPERIE;N CE AND RE- 



quite evident when the merits of the STILTS 

 measures are considered. Lease or fence 



laws permitting the control of large It is doubtful, in brief, that a satis- 



bodies of land on the basis of competi- factory method of disposal for western 



tive bids are usually favored by the grazing ranges and their use as such 



wealthier and better established stock- has been devised, and we naturally turn 



raisers, who would be at an advantage at this time to Australia for suggestions, 



under such laws, and are earnestly op- This country, which is and always has 



posed by the small men, who would be been more a pastoral than an agricult- 



exterminated through their operation. ural region, for the last 75 years has 



Horizontal lease laws have been pro- been making and remodeling her laws 



