22 Western Live-stock Management 



large if the law is to be effective. At the present mo- 

 ment, there is a law before Congress for a 640-acre grazing 

 homestead. Six hundred and forty acres is too small and 

 if such a law be passed, it will not affect any large por- 

 tion of the range lands. If, however, the ranges were 

 classified and the homestead in each case made large 

 enough to support a family, whether that be two sections 

 or ten, the law would really be effective. Another way 

 in which the result might be reached more cheaply and 

 quickly would be to fix the size of the homestead taken 

 the first year at one section, those taken the second year 

 at two sections, the third year, three sections, and so on 

 until all of the land was taken. This would leave the 

 classification to the judgment of the homesteader and 

 he could take his choice whether he would homestead a 

 section the first year or wait until the next and get two 

 sections of what was left by that time. 



The leasing system would put the range under control 

 with the least difficulty. It would not invohe a vast 

 shifting of population as would be required by home- 

 steading or the enormous influx of capital and outflow 

 of interest which the sale of the land would necessitate. 

 The men who are now in the country, the men who ha\'e 

 already built homes and rojads and schools, would be given 

 a positive control of the land they now use in the sup- 

 port of their families. For this they would pay a small 

 annual rental, a sum within their means, and a sum for 

 which they would receive immediate and compensating 

 returns. On the other hand the rental in the public 

 treasury would be most useful in the further building of 

 roads and schools and in the general support of the com- 

 munity, whereas under the present system, these 290 

 million acres must have roads and schools and a general 



