Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-02-04
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY.

EAS Its Caro- Been Entrusted 70 Careful or
Negligent HAndSH -.
"A competent judge has characterized
The announced policy Of an active mem
Der of the Yosemite Valley Commission
TO out down every tree Tin the Valley
that has sprouted within the last thirty
years as . policy which, If 1t were car
Fied out, would eventually result in an
irreparable calamity4-a calamity to the
civilized world This member is repre-
scented as declaring that his policy has
the support of the commission; it re-
mains to be seen whether his associates
will follow such fatuous leadership. But
the history of the Yosemite makes it
only too probable that crisis in its man
agement Is near at hand.
1.-THE American people are probably
not aware of their proprietorship in the
Yosemite. In 1864, by act of Congress,
the valley and, the grounds in the vicin-
ity of the Big Trees of Mariposa were
granted to the State Of California with
the stipulation nevertheless that the
said State shall accept this grant upon
the express conditions that the prem
ises shall be held for public use, resort
and recreation; shall be 1naI1enabIe for
all time etc. Thus is recognized by
law the moral claim of all humanity to
an interest in the preservation of the
wonders of the world. A citizen of New
York is as much one of the owners Of
the Yosemite as citizen Of California,
and his right to be heard in suggestion
or protest is as undoubted. There are,
unfortunately, few resident Californians
who are we'll acquainted with the val
ley. An actual count has indicated that
one-half of the visitors are foreigners,
chiefly Englishmen, while one-fourth
are from the Eastern States. The opin-
ion of these outsiders might be sup
posed to have a special value, being dis
connected with the local dissensions
which have gathered about the val
ley. y
''1t Is unfortunate that the first pub
lie presentation of the subject and the
resultant investigation by the Legisla-
ture of California were complicated by
personal, political and com mercial con-
siderations to such an extent as to OBJ
scure the important point-Has the
treatment of the Yosemite landscape
been intrusted to sl1illful handsP We
vestigation, together with large num-
Der of photographs showing the condi-
tions OF portions of the valley before
and after the employment of the axe
and pillow. Without going into the de-
tails of the alleged abuses, monopolies,
rings and prosecutions, it is easy to see
in the above testimony and photographs
abundant confirmation of those who
hold that the valley has not had the
benefit Of expert supervision. In say
ing this we are not impugning the good
faith of past or present commissions or
commissioners, appointed for other
reasons than their skillfulness in the
treatment of landscape. They are GER
tainIy to be acquitted of any intention
to injure the valley; that would be I'M
believable. It is no reproach to them
that they are not trained foresters.
Their responsibility, however, does not
end there; it is, in fact, there that it
begins; for, in the absence of knowl-
edge Of a professional nature, it should
be their first aim to obtain the very best
man or men available to do this work"
Century.