Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-19
A VIGOROUS PROTEST.
Secretary Noble Against the Incorporation of
the Yellowstone Park Co mpany.

Secretary Noble Against the Incorporation OF
the Yellowstone Park Co mpany.
vigorous protest has been sent to Senator
Dolph, the chairman of the committee on
territories, by Secretary Noble against the
passage of the Senate bill ''to Incorporate the
Yellowstone Park Company" This bill was
sent to the Secretary for his revi ew and he
speaks his mind plainly He states at the out
set that in his judgment the provisions of the
bill are detrimental to the prosperity and best
interests Of the public and the park
The Secretary considers that existing
laws and the rules and regulations pre-
pared by the department in pursuance thereof
furnish ample power and authority for car
rying out the purposes and objects for which
the park was created. The present law places
the park under the exclusive control of the
Secretary OF the Interior, while the proposed
bill transfers such control to a superintendent
who supervises the company. The Secretary
adds: The Secretary OF the Interior il evil
IDENTIFY an Objectionable officer to these promul-
cations Of this expanding scheme, and for this
| reason. II for no other, he ought to be given
the power to assert the control OF the
United States, he will certainly
he held responsible, whether he has the
| authority or not. Unless some very great
wrong has been done, or the power vested in
him has been abused, no radical change of this
character should be granted to a corporation
| of this magnitude, and the control of the far
reaching interests Of the park turned over TO
another.
WHAT THE BILL WILL DO.
"In the opinion of the Secretary it Is per-
fectly clear that this bill proposes to turn over
the hotel privileges, the passenger traffic the
boating franchise, the telegraph and telephone
lines and the great pastures and barns and
coach and wagon depots to q number of our
fellow citizens who have a combined fund of
| SsO0,O00 and no other enterprise can sustain
| itself in competition with this immense capi-
| tai and these very extensive public grants
Will Congress grant other corporate franchises
| to other persons seeking them on the same
basis as these men dor"
The Secretary adds that the hotel, passe niger
| traffic and boating facilities should lie kept up
and maintained by separate interests. He refers
to the fac: that last March lie annulled the trans
| pOrtatIon clause in the Yellowstone Park Asso-
citation leases and made lease with another
| contractor with the view OF remedyiug the
| complaints made relative to this service. In
his opinion this bill has its origin in this effort
| OF the Interior Department to prevent grow
ing tendency to monopoly and CEN
tralization OF all power and profit
| III the hands of few per-
| sons :or corporations. The Secretary criti-
cises the bill in detail and concludes that it lis
opposed to the public good, is for private in
terests solely, and is In every way pernIciOus. !"
He expresses the opinion that i'll view OF the
| growing interest in the park the government
| should strengthen its control over it rather
| than substitute u corporation in its place and
compel the people to feel Mt every stage Of pro-
gress amid these wonders that they arc there to
help private enterprise rather than to enjoy
their own under the control and responsibility
Of the national government