The San Francisco call., 1896-03-17
MUST STILL. PAY TOLLS.
Tourists to Yosemite Will Be
Asked for Tribute Outside
the Lines.
THE WEAK POINT IN a BILL.
Another View of the Plan to Sell
Tollroads in the National Park
to Uncle Sam.

There is now in the two houses of Con-
gress bill providing for the purchase of
all stage or wagon roads in the Yose mite
National Park. and although in it's every
feature there is apparent sincerity of pur-
pose, the statement has been made by
State officials that beneath the surface is
scheme to get a large sum of money
from the United States Government and
to continue leyying tribute on travellers
over parts of these same tollroads.
This was never suggested to the men
who worked conscientiously for the pur-
chase of the Yosemite tollroads, and yet
the authority upon which it is claimed
that plan to make beneficial business
turn and still charge tolls over parts of
the roads can hardly be doubted.
J. L. Maude, e.. E., Commissioner OF
the State Bureau of Highways, said that
the whole thing was simply purchasing
pieces of tollroads and leaving the other
portions still in the possession of the origi
nal owners. With such a condition tourists
to Yosemite could travel free through
the National Park, but to get in or out of it
would cost them probably as much as
before, since they would have to pay tolls
over the roads outside the park.
The principal road is that used by the
Southern Pacific stage lines into the
Yosemite Valley, and, indeed, it is practi-
cally the only one generally selected by
passengers who buy their tickets through
the Southern Pacific offices. These tickets
cost Just so much now, and it is believed
that if the Government bought the
Yosemite roads and thus made large
part of the route free 10 tourists rates OF
fare would not be reduced. Besides, the
road from Wawona, on the south line Of
the park and outside the reservation,
would still be owned by private parties
with the result that tolls would be charged
as of old. One bit of the road would be
free and another piece a tollroad.
In his report on the Yosemite Park John
w. Noble, Secretary of the Interior, ex-
pressed himself in the following terms
upon the roads:
The Southern Pacific Railroad Company, in
portation Company Headquarters at Wawona),
is doing everything in it's power to discourage
travel into the Yosemite Valley, except by its
route via Raymond. Although they advertise
four different routes, they all lead over Ray
mond, and any one desiring to take routes 3 or
will be talked out of it by being told that
the roads are very rough and dangerous.
The report describes the toll-roads in the
Yose mite National Park as follows: The
more northerly is the Big Oak Flat road,
thirty-three miles long, twenty of which lie
in the National Park. The toll on this road
is about 311s cents per person per mile, and
the estimated cost $46,650. The Coulter
vile road, thirty miles long, enters
by the way of Merced Riyer valley.
Twenty-three miles of this road are in the
National Park. The toll is about cents a
mile, and the estimated cost $85,000. The
Wawona road sixty-five miles long, with
twenty-five miles in the park, enters from
the southwest, and the tolls are about 2
cents mile for each person. The esti-
mated cost is $4,000. The portion of these
roads in the Yosemite Valley (the 36, Ill
acres within the National Park that are
under State controD is now owned by the
State of California.
A fourth road, the Tioga, ffty-six miles
in length, runs clear across the park, north
of the valley, for distance of forty-eight
miles. The estimated cost is $62,0 600, and
the tolls about 311 cents person for each
mile.
The bill providing for the purchase, of
these roads was introduced in the House
of Representatives bv Grove Johnson of
California, and is entitled "a bill author
izing the purchase by the United States
and the making free of the tollroads pass
ing over the Y Yosemite National Park" 1t
recites that four toilroads were built in
ex-Secretary of the Interior John W.
Noble, in 1892, directed that an official ex-
animation be made with reference to the
origin, right of franchise, condition, cost,
public convenience, etc., and that the re-
suit of this examination was report to
the United States Senate giving details
and recommending that the Government
acquire title to the roads at their cost of
construction and make them free.
rThn Hill
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
lea, in Congress assembled, that there is here
by appropriated, out of any money in the treas
ury not appropriated, the sum of $26S, $50 Tor
the purchase and making free of the four to II
roads in the Yosemite National Park, as fol-
lows: For the road of the Great Sierra Wagon
road Company, the sum of $4,000; tor the
road of the Big Oak Flat Turnpike Company,
the sum of SAG, $50; for the road of the Coul-
terville and Yosemite Turnpike Company, the
sum of $S5, 700; for the road Of the Yosemite
Stage and Turnpike Company, the sum of
$75, 900. The purchase of said roads to- be
made under the direction of the Secretary OF
the Interior.
Sec. 9. That this act shall take effect from
and after its passage.
The bill has so far received favorable
consideration in both houses of Congress
and bids fair to pass at this session. 1t
was drawn up by Messrs. Wilson q Viii
son. the attorneys of this City, and is re-
garded as wise measure in the interests
of tourists to Yosemite. There are many
people, however, who believe that the bill
is but halfway affair that will benent the
tollroad companies by taking the roads in
the mountains where winter storms do
great damage and are constant cause of
expense. At the same time the portions
of roads more easily kept in repair will be
left in the company's hands outside the
park, and, as stated in nex-Secretary Mobiles
report, the Southern Pacific controls the
situation, which fact taken in conjunction
with the rest is considered particularly
significant. With the roads in the park
free and under Government control the
tourist would still have to pay tolls to get
into the National Park, and on his re-
turn from Yosemite would have to pay
tribute to get out.
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