Attitude on 640-acre stock-raising homestead law.. 3060 Resolutions as reported unanimously by the committee on resolutions and adopted by the public lands convention, at Denver, Colo., C. E. Favre, forest supervisor, Wyoming National Forest, United States Forest Service, Kemmerer, Wyo-‒‒‒ Statement of C. E. Favre, replying to testimony given at Rock Opposed to the leasing system being applied to the public domain. 3174 Opposed to the repeal of the 640-acre homestead law-- Thomas Cooper, Casper, Wyo., chairman public lands committee, Wyo ming Wool Growers' Association, vice president Natrona County Live- Opposed to the proposed extension of the Yellowstone National National Forest to grazing- 3177 3182 3186 3198 3183 Page B. J. Erwin, former register, United States Land Office, Douglas, Wyo., opposed to the repeal of the 640-acre stock raising homestead law__ Kleber H. Hadsell, sheepman, Rawlins, Wyo---- P. H. Shallenberger, cattle and sheep man, Lost Cabin, Wyo.......... 3202 3204 3206 3214 L. E. Vivion, sheepman, Rawlins, Wyo‒‒‒‒‒ 3215 A. M. Teakell, abstracting and accounting, Douglas, Wyo.. protesting 3218 3221 3224 A. L. Pearson, president, Big Horn Wool Growers' Association, Cody, 3228 M. J. Gothberg, sheepman, Casper, Wyo--. 3231 Timothy Mahoney, sheepman, Casper, Wyo--- 3232 3234 C. H. McWhinnie, commissioner of public lands, State of Wyoming, Casper, Wyo--- 3238 Hon. B. B. Brooks, banker, stockman, and oil operator, former Governor of Wyoming, Casper, Wyo., regarding reduction of oil royalties in the Salt Creek field__. E. H. Shideler, president, Hobac Livestock Association, presenting resolution urging increase in congressional appropriations for the eradication of rodent pests---. 3239 3242 H. L. Budd, president, Big Piney Roundup Association, presenting resolution urging increase in congressional appropriations for the eradication of rodent pests- M. L. Bishop, lawyer, representing Natrona County Wool Growers' Statement of facts, argument, and brief prepared by the Chamber The feasibility of the project-it was intended to irrigate the 3247 Application for permit by Federal Government covered our lands 3247 This project is an unfinished project___ 3249 The Pathfinder dam a detriment to the Casper-Alcova project__ 3249 3250 Most of the water impounded goes to Nebraska....... 3250 There is sufficient surplus water stored for our project. 3250 Casper-Alcova project comprises $8,000 acres__ 3250 Wealth produced from the Salt Creek oil fields_- 3250 Most of the wealth of the Salt Creek field is lost to us.. 3251 Original policy of the Federal Government was to return to the Oil industry has caused enormous expenditures_ 3251 3251 3252 Memorandum leading up to Wyoming claim for equitable consideration in the matter of the Casper-Alcova irrigation project, prepared by Hon. Charles E. Winter and Hon. Philip E. Winter, lawyers, Casper, Wyo‒‒‒‒‒ 3254 Frank C. Emerson, State engineer of Wyoming, Cheyenne, Wyo., regarding the Casper-Alcova irrigation project.... 3264 The economic test---. 3264 The equities involved--- 3266 The general benefits that would accrue to the entire community-- 3268 NATIONAL FORESTS AND THE PUBLIC DOMAIN WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1925 UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE The subcommittee met, pursuant to adjournment, on yesterday, at 9 o'clock a. m., Wednesday, September 30, 1925, in the Elks' Club, Rock Springs, Wyo., Senator Robert N. Stanfield (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The meeting will come to order. Gentlemen, this is a meeting of a subcommittee of the Committee on Public Lands and Surveys of the United States Senate, holding hearings under a resolution passed at the last session of the Senate. That resolution provides: Resolved, That the Committee on Public Lands and Surveys, or any duly authorized subcommittee thereof, is authorized to investigate all matters relating to national forests and to the public domain and their administration, including grazing lands, forest reserves, and other reservations and lands withdrawn from entry. For the purpose of this resolution such committee or subcommittee is authorized to hold hearings and to sit and act at such places and times; to employ such experts and clerical, stenographic, and other assistants; to require by subpoena or otherwise the attendance of such witnesses and the production of such books, papers, and documents; to administer such oaths and to take such testimony and make such expenditures as it deems advisable. We are not holding these hearings to listen to testimony on any one particular question, but on any question that may arise pertaining to the public domain, reserved or unreserved. Included in the reserved areas are forest reserves, Indian reservations, mineral reservations, national parks, national monuments, game preserves, and any other areas that have been withdrawn or reserved from the public domain. We will be pleased to listen to such witnesses as want to be heard to-day, and will listen to them on any question that in anywise pertains to the public lands. I have here a list of witnesses who have indicated a desire to be heard, and I will call first on Mr. Noblitt. STATEMENT OF J. D. NOBLITT, SHEEP AND CATTLE RAISER, COKEVILLE, WYO. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Noblitt, are you engaged in the livestock business? Mr. NOBLITT. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. In what branch of the livestock industry? The CHAIRMAN. Do you graze within the confines of the national. forest? Mr. NOBLITT. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Are you grazing upon the public domain? Mr. NOBLITT. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. How long have you been engaged in the livestock business? Mr. NOBLITT. About a quarter of a century. The CHAIRMAN. On what national forest do you graze? The CHAIRMAN. Have you a statement that you will make to the committee in your own way, Mr. Noblitt? Mr. NOBLITT. I have a statement representing the sentiment of an organization known as the Lincoln County Wool Growers' Association. I was requested by the organization to present it. The CHAIRMAN. Very well. We will be pleased to listen to it. Mr. NOBLITT. I will state that this statement of sentiment represents, as I understand it, what the people of this organization, consisting of some 200 members, most of them users of the national forests, have favored as far back as I have known anything about the national forests or this public land grazing question. We have had many meetings where this subject in part was the reason for the meeting, going back many years. They attempted a few evenings ago to bring this statement into a brief form as nearly as they could, attempting to convey to you the sentiment as far back as the question has been before them and as nearly up to date as possible. It is addressed to your committee, Senator Stanfield, and it reads: The early settlers of all the now thickly populated States of the East enjoyed practically unlimited use of the public domain. They were restricted only by the Indians and predatory animals. The Federal Government did not then have the temerity to ask them to pay for letting their hogs and goats and other livestock feed and range upon the unoccupied Government land. The settlers of that day could not have progressed and built up the country without the use of those large areas of public lands. The progress and success of the early pioneer encouraged other settlers to follow. The soil was fertile and the climate was generally favorable. Then came the mines, the mills, the factories, the railroads, and the cities. with the industrial centers, with their thousands upon thousands of employees at good wages, furnishing favorable and convenient markets for the meats, grains, and all other products of the farm. In a very large degree and within a comparatively short time those lands became too valuable to be used for pasture. Intensive farming was justified in order to supply the ever-increasing local demands for food. Homes, churches, schools, and roads were built. The population continued to increase. Practically every acre of tillable land passed into private ownership; and still more settlers came, came and bought those lands from the earlier settlers at prices that were profitable to the pioneers. And why? Why did they buy those improved lands instead of coming on further West to where they could secure homesteads for a filing fee? Because the early settler, the pioneer, had "blazed the trail," had built the schools and highways that brought the railroads and the factories that made it a fit country in which a man could live and raise and educate his family. |