Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-04-06
A JUST CRITICISM.

Frederick Law Olmstead has printed
and is circulating very able reply to the
charges made against himself, connected
in general way with the management of
the Yosemite Valley. Mr., Olmstead con-
tends, as all sensible men do, for an artistic
administration of the affairs of the Yosem-
ite Valley. He says: ''The best board
of hospital trustees would commit what
the law regards as a crime, if they assumed
the duties of physicians and nurses. Ability
in a landscape designer is, in some small
degree, native endowment, but much
more, it is a matter of penetrative study,
discipline, training and the development
through practice of a special knack." This
was exactly the view taken by the Yosem-
lite Commission, as that Board was organ
lied in 1879, under Governor George C.
Perkins. At the meeting, which should
have been held in June, 1880, but was
really held in July, one of the members of
the Commission introduced resolution
that the roads, trails, locations and bridges
and the direction of the streams and rivers
in the valley should be under the direc-
ton of an experienced landscape gardener.
At that time William Hammond Hall was
State Engineer. Being State officer, un-
der salary to the State, it was assumed that
the services of the State Engineer could
be secured in directing landscape design
of the Improvements then under contem-
plation in Yosemite Valley. A resolution
requesting Mr.. Hall to visit the valley and
give his opinion as to what could be done
in the premises passed, and subsequently
Mr.. Hall located the roads and many of
the existing bridges. Mr.. Halls skill as
landscape gardener had been amply demon
strated by the designing of Golden Gate
Park. The Commission then committed
itself distinctly to the doctrine that the
service of an experienced landscape de-
slgner was necessary to the determination
of the manner in which the scenery is to
be affected by such operations as commonly
pass under the name of improvements"
What is being contended, therefore, has
once been put into operation.
We have nothing to say of the other
matters. There have been mistakes of
management under State control, and
there will be the liability of mistakes
under Government control. Government
Commissioners will not be any more in
fallible than State Commissioners. The
Commissioners selected by the United
States would be selected from about the
same motives which govern the selection
of the State Commissioners. 1t is known
to all engaged in the controversy that a
change of men does not always effect
change of policy. Most certainly in this
case change of sources of appointment is
no guarantee of the change of the charac-
ter of the appointees.
The one crying sin of the management
of the Yosemite valley lies in the direc-
vi iIlt COIlnlII6u the
name of private rights. The State of
California has been victimized to the last
degree by fraudulent claims of private
right in the valley, and one man, whose
guilt in this regard reached the highest
enormity, was J. NJ. Hutchings, the leader
of the present assault on Yosemite man.
agement.
1t is reported that the meadow in front
of the old Cook Hotel has been plowed up
and sowed to wheat. We can scarcely be-
lieve this statement to be true. If it is
true, however, then the charge of ignor-
ance, stupidity and vandalism stands
proved. The meadow was beautiful
everglade, presenting a restful vista of
verdure. To convert it into stubble for
the benefit of the saddle-train people, if
such conversion mas been effected, is an act
of gross mismanagement which no inge-
nuity of defense will ever defend, and no
bullying, clustering denunciation of those
who make the accusation will ever excuse.