STATEMENT OF THOMAS E. DIXON, COUNTY COMMISSIONER, LINCOLN COUNTY, NEV.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Are you interested in the livestock industry?

Mr. DIXON. Not personally. I do not own any livestock and my only interest is working out the welfare of Lincoln County as a commissioner and my excuse for appearing before this board is because I took the Federal census, and in taking it I got pretty well acquainted with the different people because I had to ask them a great many questions in order to gather a good deal of information as the conditions. The information that was published as a result of that census showed some figures that emphasize these conditions, and the testimony given today has also helped, too. I would like to give some figures that will also add to that testimony. The ACTING CHAIRMAN. We would like to have you make your

statement.

Mr. DIXON. In Lincoln County, I believe, the conditions are slightly different from the remainder of Nevada. In the first place we have no control of the range. There is practically no forest reservation within Lincoln County. Over in the northwest corner the reserve in Nye County extends into our county for approximately six miles wide and 12 miles long. Lincoln County never has had any grazing control by the Federal Government.

Lincoln County embraces 6,727,140 acres. Of that amount, according to the Farm Bureau and the Federal census as published, there are barely 33,180 acres in farms. There are 189 farms in the county. That makes the average farm 175 acres. Of that 33,000 and odd acres held by farmers, about 5,335 acres are in crops, or an average of 28 acres to the farm.

One of the results of studying these figures was to learn that the small farmer and the cattle industry are inseparable. The man who wants to run cattle in Lincoln County must first acquire a small farm, for it is as much a part of the cattle industry as are corrals and barns. This farm must produce hay for the very extreme weather, and for that reason the farms of Lincoln County and the livestock industry are inseparable. There are a few farmers in Lincoln County who have small herds but almost all of them are away working and have left the farm because of the great distance from the market and water and things of that sort which are absolutely necessary.

There is another thing that I want to emphasize that was brought out in the hearing this morning. I find from a study of the streams that a great deal more water is being developed by these cattlemen. The point I want to emphasize is, that if Federal control is to be put in, these ranchers who have been here for a long time and who are really a part of the range, should be given local control of these ranges.

In reference to the sheep question and the statements made here. Being one of you cattlemen, I naturally think in the same direction as you do. There are about 90,000 head of sheep in the county, and if the returns had been filed there would no doubt have been more accounted for.

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My excuse, gentlemen, as I told you, for appearing before this meeting is because I am familiar with the conditions. There is one other point that I want to emphasize. For several years past the assessment rolls of Lincoln County did not show the number of cattle. It is only of recent years that they have shown anything as to the depreciation in the number of cattle, but I know that the Board of Equalization cut the number of cattle 20 per cent flat, and I don't believe that it is exaggerating to make that statement. I hardly believe, from my experience, that 20 per cent can cover the losses that they have suffered in the last 12 months. As to the depreciation, that is about the extent of the information I can give.

The assessment roll this year is about the same as last year, due to the fact that a new automobile law has brought about a new tax and that with the personal property tax has nearly offset the loss of cattle for the year 1925.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Are you familiar with the legislation that has been proposed for Congress which would provide for legalizing the right to use the public domain?

Mr. DIXON. I have not read about it lately.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Do you believe that we should have such legislation?

Mr. DIXON. I hardly know. I thought so, but after the hearing at Reno there seems to be so much friction between the Forest Service and the users of the forest reserve that it seems to me that it might not work, but in the end it also seems to me that such an administration and economic control is probably the only way, but I am prepared to say that the range needs something and that it should be very carefully guarded and protected.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. In Reno the question of local control of the range within the national forests was discussed. The consensus of opinion was that if the ranges could be under the control of the local stockmen that better results would be had.

Mr. DIXON. As I said, I believe that the only salvation of the cattlemen in Lincoln County is control of some kind. I hardly feel competent to suggest just what kind of control it should be, but at the present time, as Mr. Connaway testified here, the cattlemen are completely discouraged with the foreign sheep coming in and with no protection from the State, for they have no assurance that there will be feed for their stock for each coming season.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Has this condition on the range resulted in a depreciation of the value of the ranches?

Mr. DIXON. Absolutely, absolutely. I believe that our assessment roll this year will show a very, very material reduction, if it were not for the tax on personal property.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. From your experience do you think that there is a close relationship between the farmer and the livestock industry?

Mr. DIXON. They are inseparable.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. If anything adversely affects the livestock industry, does it injure the small farmer?

Mr. DIXON. It will destroy the value of the farms, for there are very few farms that could be made to pay without the cattle business. This is because of the great distance from the railroad, which makes shipping almost prohibitive. Of course, those who live nearer

the railroad could make a farm pay without the livestock industry. Others who have acreage, as Mr. Hollinger, could take blooded stock on the range profitably, but, without the livestock industry, 75 per cent of the farm land value would be destroyed.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Do you believe that there is an obligation on the part of our Government to prevent injury to the cattle industry?

Mr. DIXON. I do. For instance, in a county like Lincoln with an immense area, the fact that the expenses of the Government and of the roads and school must be provided for. With the injury to the cattle business all property values are falling; even the mining property has gone down, and, if the cattle business is destroyed, I don't know how we can carry on and to keep up the county government and provide schools for the children.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Do you believe that the merchants in the county are effected by the livestock industry?

Mr. DIXON. Everyone, absolutely. Everyone in the county is affected. There are very few of the merchants who could make a living down in that country off the railroad. If they were on the railroad, they could carry on without the cattle business. It is a little better in around Pioche, for there they have the mining busi

ness.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. How many acres pay taxes?

Mr. DIXON. Thirty-three thousand one hundred and eighty.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. That is about 1 in every 200 acres in your county that pays taxes. Is the county put to any expense in policing or, in any other way, carrying on governmental activities. on the public domain within the county boundaries?

Mr. DIXON. Yes. There are 42 square miles to every person in Lincoln County. The people are widely scattered, and there are only occasional little settlements. Consider the expense to the county in building and maintaining county roads. From Caliente to Pahranagat there is 50 miles over the public domain. The mileage of the sheriff is paid across public domain, which does not yield any county tax. From Pioche to Eagle Valley is 16 miles. From Pioche to Kyle is 55 miles. The county, to put it mildly, is put to an immense expense to carry on the Government over the great area of this public land, owned by the Government that pays no revenue. The ACTING CHAIRMAN. In case legislation, such as has been suggested, should be passed, would you favor a per capita allotment or an area allotment?

Mr. DIXON. I believe that the cattleman can answer that question better than I can. I do feel this though that, if a cattleman is assigned to a personal area, he will take a personal interest in it and develop it, but I haven't thought of that feature of it, and they can answer it better than I can.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. If you have any further statement, we would like to have it.

Congressman ARENTZ. You spoke about the personal tax taking the place of the decrease in taxation of other things. I suppose you know that an automobile pays a State license tax and pays a gasoline tax and then pays a personal tax on the extreme value of the car. There are three taxes we pay on one object, and I consider

that it is something that is going to be discussed very fully within the next year or two.

Mr. DIXON. That is true. It is very clear that the taxation in Lincoln County is very high. But if the property tax, the personal tax, and the gas tax and license tax is judiciously expended on the roads, I believe that the automobile owner would rather pay the tax and drive over good roads than pay no tax and have bad roads, impassible in bad weather.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Mr. Dixon, I thank you for your state

ment.

Mr. HOLLINGER. Mr. Ollinghouse is the next witness.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. We will be glad to hear you, Mr. Ollinghouse. Will you give your name to the reporter?

STATEMENT OF HENRY L. OLLINGHOUSE, CATTLEMAN, PIOCHE, NEV.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Are you engaged in the livestock business?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. Yes.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. What branch?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. Cattle.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. How long have you been in it?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. About 18 years.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. You are therefore thoroughly familiar with it?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. I am.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Please give us your statement.

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. Mr. Hollinger expressed my views pretty thoroughly and I don't know that I can improve upon them much. A few years ago about 15 of us ranchers put in 61/2 miles of water line on the public domain to get water upon the desert.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. How long ago?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. About five years ago. It cost us around $10,000 to do the work. We turned the water off in the summer to save the feed for the stock in the winter and in the fall of the year we turned the water on again. We had five water troughs along the line and we put our cattle there and they did pretty well until the snow came each year. Then the sheep came in on us. They feed all along the line and scatter the cattle, and when the snow goes off and the cattle come back there is no feed left for them.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Where are the sheep from?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. Utah.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. How many years have you been using that range?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. Personally I have been using it 18 years. Before we put on the water we put the cattle on each year until the snow came and put them back when the snow went off.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Had the previous owner used the range! Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. Yes.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. How long?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. I couldn't just say how long. I guess ever since Pioche started in about 1870. I bought out a cattle outfit. For nearly 60 years that range has been used by the owner of the ranch.

There are about 15 of us that run our cattle together and cooperate and none of us use it separately. We cooperate and ride together and have the expense and profits together.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Would the ranch property have any value without the range?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. None whatever.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. What effect would taking that range away from the ranch have on the property?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. I have a little homestead that has about 35 acres of cultivated land upon it and the range wouldn't be worth a dollar without the cattle and we couldn't have cattle without a place to run them for our ranches aren't big enough.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. The ranch is dependent upon the range? Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. I couldn't sell it or make a living from it without the range. The cattle range up here and we have to have a little pasture land to put the cattle on in the summer time.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Did you say, in your opinion, that the ranchers have a vested right to the use of that range?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. Yes.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Do you think that there is parallel between the use of the range and the use of the highways? Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. I do.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Has this public grazing land any value besides its grass value?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. None whatever.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Are you in favor of legalized control of the public domains by the users?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. Yes.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Would you favor an area allotment or a per capita allotment for the stockmen in case such legislation should be passed?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. The area allotment would do quite a bit of good. It would depend upon what part of the country it is in. If you got the same allotment as you get in Colorado it wouldn't be enough for it takes more territory in this State than elsewhere in the West.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. In case the use of the range was legalized, what effect would it have upon the range if the control was left to the local community?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. The range would improve, for it would be to the interests of the users to improve it and if they put improvements on the range they would be sure to have the use of them.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. You have spent money to improve the range and transient alien sheepmen have taken the feed that has been used by you and the other owners of your property for many years?

Mr. OLLINGHOUSE. Yes. Besides, in the winter we have hay placed out on the range for the cattle and the sheepmen have even stolen our hay and have gone into our cabins and taken things out of them, like salt and other things for the sheep. They use our springs and water holes when they graze their sheep on our range, but when the snow is on the ground they go to other parts of the range after they have taken our range.