The San Francisco call., 1903-12-18
THE NATIONAL PARKS.

q INCE the policy OF reserving large tracts as ma,
tional parks for scenic purposes was adopted by
- the Government there has been little no consd-
Grafton of the economic side of the The parks
are administered by regular soldiers officer being
considered superintendent and the parks have been
protected against grazing and to degree from fire.
There has to pass the need of some adjust
ment OF the rights OF private of lands acquired
long before the reservations made, and who are
deprived of all beneficial of their property and the
adjustment also ci certain rights founded in public
needs.
The park reservation made in this State was the
one known the Yosemite National Park which saddles
the Sierra taking IN and in that part
Of lying between the Merced and Tuolumne rivers in
cludng private property than it does public do
When this reservation made delimited
by the and by inspection For this much
territory included that has scenic value whatever
This is especially of the portion mentioned between
the rivers. which no one was ever known to visit
for enjoyment of the scenery
Within the reservation hydraulic powers, the
streams, and enormous water supply present in
ural reservoirs and possible by creating artificial
voirs to hold the great fall of without i'm
pairing the normal flow of the throughout
The Secretary of the Interior is clothed with dis
cretionary to grant privileges in the Yosemite
Sequoa and General Grant national parks in this State
or electrical plants poles and lines for the generation
and distribution of electrical power, and for telephone
and telegraph purposes and for canals dtChe pipes and
pipe lines fumes tunnels other water conduits and
for water plants dams and reservoirs used to promote
irrigation, mining quarrying, the supplying of
water for domestic public any other beneficial
provided that such permit shall be incompatible with
the public interest The Secretary of the Interior is un
derstood decline. in all cases. exercise this discre
ton the ground that such economic uses will impair
scenery and enhance the of administration of the
PARKS and the further ground that the OF such
privileges will be profitable to those who make the
necessary investments.
AS far the matter of is concerned the parks
paroed by soldiers of the regular army, and the
is only their pay and subsistence which would be
the they stewed in barracks instead of hav
ing the freedom of the mountains. No doubt Congress
in bestowing the discretion upon the Secretary had in
view the fact that these reservations included
great economic the of which is necessary
to the life of the people, as for instance electrical power
and potable water and that permission use meant
their profitable somebody. If a pole line or
ditch impair natural scenery, its Impairment by
passabe road is much greater Yet roads be made
enable people get in sight of the scenery which
otherwise will remain like the moonshine sunshine in
"NIazeppa"-''n lonely uster."
No doubt the Secretary intends make it plain that
re-examnation of these hastily made reservations is
necessary in order reform their lines and conform
them the preservation of scenery and
the of economic where there scenery
to impair 1t is vital question to many people in
this State that it is quite necessary that members Of
Congress address themselves to speedy solution.