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amount of forage it furnishes is maintained at its highest limit of con- 
tinued production, as would be the case under the proposed system, 
instead of being maintained at its lowest limit of production, as would 
finally be the case under the present system. 
There is a popular but erroneous idea that the responsibility for the 
present system of grazing in eastern Oregon rests with the sheep 
owners. It is found, however, on conversation with a large number of 
them that they are opposed to the present method, and would welcome 
a change in government policy which would give them a financial 
interest in the maintenance of good pasturage. If they could secure 
for a reasonable period of years a title to the grazing product they 
believe it would be one of the greatest benefits possible to the industry. 
OBJECTIONS TO THE PROPOSED SYSTEM. 
In discussing the proposed plan with stockmen it was found, somewhat 
unexpectedly, that all those to whom there was opportunity of explain- 
ing it fully, without exception approved it, but often with the proviso, 
‘if it could be earried out.” Their primary doubt was that though 
a majority of the owners would gladly adopt the system, there would 
always be a few who would refuse to agree to any regulations or would 
be unscrupulous enough to trangress them when they found it to their 
own interest todo so. It appears that the eminent desirability of adopt- 
ing some scheme of parceling out the range had long been recognized 
and in an informal way had been attempted in various localities, but that 
invariably some unscrupulous owner, by crowding in upon another’s 
range, had broken up the system. 
Upon being reminded that a new set of laws had been enacted, under 
which the Interior Department had full authority to make regulations 
covering the land within the forest reserves and full power to enforce 
them, and that while the Government undoubtedly wished to handle 
the subject with the velvet hand of equity there lay beneath it the iron 
claw of stern anthority, they readily appreciated that recalcitrant 
owners would not be so serious an obstacle to the Interior Debar tment 
as they had been to their own unauthorized system. 
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 well made. The writer bad been keeping a list of all the 
ranges, with the number of sheep each would support, and 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 Northern Pacific Railroad 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- 
