Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-25
THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
by FREDERIC j. HAsKIN

WASHINGTON. June 24.-The ma
tional parks OF the United States have
now been co-ordinated and placed un-
der a special government service. with
director in Washington. in much the
same way that the national forests arc
controlled by the forest service.
This organization Of a national park
service Is the elimination of a cam
paign to make tho American people
realize the value of these parks,
aesthetic. sentimental and financial
which has been one of the chief pur-
poses OF secretary Lanes administra-
ton OF the Interior Department. It is
work scarcely second in Importance
10 the creation Of the national forests,
and. like that great measure of con-
scrration. it will be much moro apprc-
ciatcd In tho future than it is at
present
Properly to protect and conserve the
national parks means to save from de-
struction and exploitation for all time
certain OF the most beautiful and won
dcrful parts Of tho West--to save them
Just as they were when the first dar-
Ing Americans pushed into the Rockies.
when Fremont found tho way across
the divide and Kit Carson trapped
from Taos to California, and from
Canada to Mexico. 1t also means max
ing these wonder-regions accessible to
all Americans on equal terms. To drag
in once moro our new watchword, II
means making the great outdoors safe
for democracy.
But if these considerations do mt
reach your Imagination, you may re-
ncct that 1t also means bringing hum
drcds OF millions of dollars to the
United States. and keeping here hum
dreds OF millions OF dollars that would
otherwise go away.
For scenery and fresh air. I'm an
ever world. are becom-
ing some OF the most expensive and
readily salable commodities on the
market. True. there is good deal OF
both left in America; but 1t is only a
hundred years since we had little else
and now there are American citizens
who never saw mountain, whose
lungs arc smoke consumers, who would
not know how to get a drink out Of a
spring without Tin cup.
All the city jewellers OF the world
who have money are willing to spend
it for fresh air and scenery. Canada
realized long ago that there was easy
money in this eternal laundering OF
man TO get back to the hills. She be-
gan advertising her Rocky Mountains.
which are in no way superior to our
own.
Well Known ~ Alps.
Now the Canadian Rockies are al
most as well known as the Swiss
Alps. and tho tourist business is said
to rank fourth among the Canadian
industries. But that is not the worst
OF 1t. About 20 per cent OF the $780,
100000, which Canada is estimated 10
make annually by selling glimpscs Of
her mountains. is spent there by Amer
leans. Think upon that. The peoplc
that own the Yellowstone and Glacier
and Mount Rainier and the Yosemite,
not 10 mention a number Of others
mat you never heard of, carry their
hard iron dollars every summer up
into Canada and leave them there for
the privilege OF scramblinE around in
the Canadian Rockies.
In some ways we are not SO o-ici-
nal. after all. Before the Canadian
Rockies were discovered by the tour
list, we all went to Switzerland, be-
cause we knew from tradition and
advertisement that that is where thew
have scenery. There were plenty of
guides to tell us when and what to
admire There were good hotels. too,
and excellent transportation. which
certainly our own scenery then lacked.
But IL We had displayed any Interest
IN our own country. ways OF seeing
would have doubtless been found The
whole trouble was that none Of US, no,
even our writer's. could see scenery
without some one to point II out Mark
Twain spent long years in the West.
and in some OF his letters home he
did mention the scenery. But his book.
"RoughinE It." is mainly about the
discomforts and crimes OF that region.
Even Mark Twain. most original of