42 BULLETIN 1001, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
of meat, woo±, 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 will 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. — Xor 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 which 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 
