SURVEYS OF FOREST RESERVES. 157 



A second objection, and one at first difficult to meet, was that the 

 Interior Department would be unable to divide the range equitably; 

 that certain owners, particularly large owners, would secure the best 

 ranges, and that continued dissatisfaction would result. The objection 

 clearly was Avell made. I myself had been keeping a list of all the 

 ranges, with the number of sheep each would support, aud I knew how 

 extremely difficult it would be for any one man to do full justice to each 

 individual owner, especially in the face of the conflicting representa- 

 tions with which he would be met. The Xorthern Pacific Kailroad and 

 other corporations having grazing privileges to dispose of can and do 

 deal directly with individual applicants, without necessarily consulting- 

 others, but this method is not open to the Government. The most nat- 

 ural way to decide between two or more persons competing for the same 

 right is to grant it to the highest bidder. My own doubts of the suit- 

 ability of this method were confirmed by conversations with sheej) men. 



The unanimous verdict was that such a proceeding would tend to 

 put the grazing lauds in the hands of a small number of large owners 

 who could aflbrd to pay a higher price than owners of single bands. 



As a result of careful consideration, the plan of permitting the sheep 

 owners themselves to parcel out the range suggested itself. It was 

 found that in each of the three counties concerned — Crook, Wasco, and 

 Sherman— there exists a woolgrowers' or stockmen's association, the 

 original object of which, it appeared, was chiefly mutual protection of 

 their sheep against coyotes and other wild animals through the pay- 

 ment of bounties raised by subscription or tax among the members of 

 the association. A committee or commission of three, each represent- 

 ing one of these county associations, would be thoroughly competent 

 to divide the range and could do it both more equitably and with less 

 objection from dissatisfted owners than could any officer or officers of 

 the Government. This commission could meet at a time and place duly 

 advertised, receive the written applications for ranges, adjudicate con- 

 flicting applications, and make recommendations accordingly to the 

 Interior Department. This plan answered the last objection brought 

 forward against the system. 



ADDITIONAL DETAILS. 



Other details of the system may be briefly mentioned. The permit 

 should be for a definite number of years, sufficient to give the permittee 

 an interest in maintaining the range in good productive condition from 

 year to year, and on the other hand it should not be for so long a period 

 as to prevent new men from coming into the business. A jiermit period 

 of five years with a provision for renewal appears to be the most satis- 

 factory. 



Failure on the part of a permittee to occupy a range before the expira- 

 tion of a reasonable period, say by the 1st of August in any year, 

 without due explanation, would cause the permit to lapse and the range 

 to be again open to application and the granting of a new permit for 

 the remaining portion of the original term. This would prevent any 

 owner from wasting the resources to which he might have an exclusive 

 right. 



The suggestion has been made by a citizen of Oregon that a sheep 

 owner, as one of the requisites for obtaining a permit, should give a 

 bond, securing the Government against destruction of the timber by 

 fire. This provision, however, would be a hardship in many cases and 

 should be adopted only as a last resort. Another provision, the adop- 



