St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-04
THE YELLOWSTONE PARK.

II vigorous controversy Is WaSinS De-
tween CHARLES GIBSON, of st. Louis,
on the one side, and Hon. JOHN w.
| NOBLE, secretary of the interior, on the
| other, with the United States senate as
| the umpire. 1t is all about the Yellow
stone National park. A bill has been
introduced into the present congress in
| cooperating So-called Yellowstone
Park company, and granting it impor-
| tant concessions for the use and inn
provementof the governments domain
about the geysers. Under the present
| law not more than ten acres can be
| leased to any one party in the entire
| park, and any privileges which may be
extended are subject to revocation prac
tlcally at the will of the interior depart
| ment. 1t is proposed to change this by
| increasing the acreage and defining
| with greater eXactness the length and
| character of the tenure under which a
| holding may be had.
Secretary NOBLE has come out fatty
against such legislation and has written
| long letter to the senate committee
| having the matter in charge. in which
| he gives the reasons for his opinions.
| There are twelve or fourteen of these,
covering wide range and permitting
extended discussion. But the drift of
his argument is that it is not safe to let
| private enterprise get hold on the
park, and that the only way to keep it
as governmental property is to leave it
| under the direct and immediate control
| of himself and his successors i'll Office.
| He declares that there is no telling what
| will happen if capitalists are once per-
mitted to regard it as a legitimate field
for their operations.
Mr.. GIBSON is now the president of
| the Yellowstone Park association, which
| owns the hotels in the park, and is the
chief promoter of this new project. He
| points out that he and his associates
| have expended more than half million
| dollars in the development of their
| property there, which is twice as much
as the governments total money in
vestment IN the region since it was es-
tablished as public play ground. He
says that large additional sums will
have to be spent in the immediate
| future if the park is to be put in shape
/ for the accommodation of the throngs
which will visit it in 1898. The govern
ment will not advance funds for any
such purpose, but his company will if it
can be protected against loss. The only
| protection it asks is permission to con-
Struct inns and transportation lines ad-
equate for the general needs, and to be
secured against the capricious forfeiture
of it's rights after its investments have
been made.
This seems moderate and sensible.
The important thing is to provide accom-
mediation which will be at once COM
plete, comfortable and reasonable in
price If the new plan is calculated to
accomplish this it deserves popular
favor. 1t will be great shame if moth
ing is done in this direction before the
:. worlds fair opens. Half of the people
who come from abroad and from the
East will not stop at Chicago, but will
continue their journeys through the
entire Northwest. They will pass
through st. Paul and Minneapolis, and
explore the land of the geysers beyond.
Ampler proyis ions than now exist will
be required for their housing and car
rage. 1t will not therefore be enough
for Mr.. NOBLE to point out objeeti ions
to the pending bill. He will have to &c
further, and show how this problem
should be solved if the proposed method
is not the proper one.