The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-08-22

tional parks and popular science; keep members
Informed concerning new books on American
travel, exploration, archaeological research, plant
and animal life, and the meaning of scenery; refer
travel and route Inquiries from members to that
governmental or other agency, railroad, or auto
mobile association, which will give each inquiry
the kind Of attention it needs.
The association has prepared an elaborate plan
of pOpularizing natural science through universities
and schools, public libraries, writer's and lecturers
and artists, and motion picture activities. A fea-
ture of it's work will be the assembling of material
by intensively studying the parks, through COM
mittees, separately and as a system, especially
their history, nomenclature, folklore, geology,
fauna and flora by collecting this material in
ready reference shape as the basis Of a practical
library by compiling a working photograph. by
park and subject, of material Of every sort avail
able especially In the library Of congress and the
scientific Libraries of the government departments.
The association will establish volunteer working
committees Of scientists, professors, students and
other public-spirited members, and will utilize, as
far as possible, the machinery already established
and In operation by university and school organi-
cations, state and county educational organiZa-
tons, state park organizations, scientific institu-
lions, the national government, publicspirited or
CARNATIONS Of all sorts, automobile and highway
associations, business organizations, like railroads,
automobile manufacturers and national parks con-
cessioners, whose business will be helped by the
work of the National Parks association.
The executive committee is assured Of one sub
scripti0n of $4,000; 1t is planned to secure five
year pledges amounting to a minimum of $4,000 a
year. 1t also expects at least 5000 members at
So q year.
The association already reports results. The
University Of the City Of New York has prepared
sets Of national parks lantern slides. The Uni
versity Of Minnesota has been sending study
classes to the national parks for two years; Chi
cagO sends one to Rocky Mountain National park
this summer and Columbia will send one next
year. Columbia has also included a lecture course
on the meaning Of scenery in this seasons sum-
mer school. A prominent studio has arranged
film stories to show how glaciers work on Mount
Rainier, how the Grand canyon was cut; how
water carved the Yosemite valley, etc.
If well handled, the National Parks association.
with q large membership, may do a great work;
it has q large field and a great opportunity. 1t
a consistent park policy. About 100000 people
now visit the national parks every year and the
increase promises to be very large. There is,
therefore, a body of national parks enthusiasts
numbering several millions.
While the association is organized on a nonpo-
litical basis. it will presumably have to go into
politics to accomplish its ends, since the agricul-
tural department is waging a campaign to secure
the control of the national parks from the interior
department and is setting up the national forests
and the forest service as scenic and recreation
rivals Of the national parks and the national parks
service. Also, in its plans to increase the national
parks system 1t will encounter both the open and
secret opposition Of the forest service, the biggest
and smoothest running political machine in the
United States.