42 BULLETIN 1001, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of meat, woox, and hides, which is unquestionably advantageous to 

 the producer, also benefits the consumers of such products. An 

 increase in the production of the region means that it vail carry a 

 larger population, which in turn makes for an increase in the com- 

 plexity of type of civilization. Hence, from every standpoint, i. e. 

 the welfare of the ranges themselves, the advantage of the users of 

 the range, the benefits to the State and Nation, there is advantage 

 to be gained by any sort of legislation that will make possible the 

 fencing up of the arid grazing lands. 



Adjustments. — Nor is there any one with any real equity in the 

 region under' consideration- who must of necessity suffer serious loss. 

 Naturally, many of the claims now made by stockmen will be shown, 

 on careful examination, to be much exaggerated. All such claims 

 would have to be passed upon and settled whenever an adjustment 

 is made. The "tramp" sheepman, who has no equity in the region, 

 will disappear. Adjustments between summer and winter range 

 can be made, and when made will put the business of using both on 

 a much less precarious footing than that upon w-hich it now rests. 



These necessary adjustments in the use of the arid grazing lands 

 could be made most logically and quickly by a supervising authority 

 that is able to study the ranges of an area as large as a State, or pos- 

 sibly parts of two States, and adjust the subdivision so as to utilize 

 the whole to the best advantage. But this method is not the only 

 one. Individual control of separate areas will at once settle the 

 problem in some fashion, and though it may not at first be the theo- 

 retically best adjustment, this best adjustment will ultimately be 

 reached simply because it is the most productive adjustment and 

 therefore most remunerative. The application of either method 

 of adjustment rests upon legalized control of the range lands and is 

 not possible on an open range. 



THE NECESSARY LEGISLATION. 



In a consideration of the problem of the changes which it may be 

 desirable to make in our land legislation it is wise to state specifi- 

 cally and somewhat formally the various assumptions and ideals 

 that have been taken for granted as basic to the discussion. With 

 these assumptions in mind the requirements of the situation should 

 also be definitely presented. And, finally, the various kinds of 

 legislation which have been proposed should be carefully considered 

 in detail. 



BASIC ASSUMPTIONS. 



It is assumed that the discussion applies only to those regions 

 where, on account of prevailing aridity, cultivated crops can not be 

 produced with sufficient regularity to render crop farming a safe 

 business. While there are many places in which some incidental 



