The Bolivar County Democrat., 1919-08-30

t,arp s pot a scenic national PARK "oIIiS VI "a"
name between Rocky Mountain ID ooioiauo anu
Iafaiyette on the coast of Maine.
Go Indiana Illinois and Michigan want a LA
sron.I nark and they have picked out the dunes as
the right place for it. 4t,,sb
How they are going to bring about its establish
ment is a big question The proposed parh oiea W
is all under private ownership and is held at spec
uiatiye prices on the chance of secoho uai'
l.einy buiIt at the head of Lake Michigan. E'en
MI actu.i values it would cost about Sz'oooooV "
buy the 1900 acres most desirable lor ps'ih P
poses The scenic parks of the vest were '"Aen
from the national forests and the pupiic ooihalh
nv congress To date there is no precedent ior
the appropriation by congress of funds 10 purchase
N national park area. Lafayette was presented 10
the government for national park purposes by the
owners of the property.
Congress- has no national park policy. 1t Only
daiiies with national parks as it does WIN lhoS'
other things. 1t Is now generous with appropiia
tions and again niggardy; for instance, II gave
Yellowstone S334OO0 and Yosemite S2ooooo IN
1919 aud kept Rocky Mountain. with twice as
suany visitors as both parks, down 10 slo'ooo'
Politics enters largely into all national PARK iegls
latfon. La the SiXty-fourth congress the interior
deDartment supported the bill to enlarge Yellow
stone and the bill to add to Sequoa ana change
its name to Roosevelt. The agricultural depart
u,ent because the proposed additions would be
taken from national forests. and therefore from us
control opposed both bills beating the former Ill
the senate and the latter in the house. So there
is no telling what congress will or will not do IN
The matter of national park legislation
Can congress Be induced to appropriate money
for the purchase of private holdings for national
park purposes?
This question has been put squarey up to con-
gress by two bills introduced at this session one
calls for the appropriation of d million dollars or
30 for the purchase of Mammoth cave, Kentucky
rud Its environs for a.aational park. The other
licb M %
Valley National park on both sides of the Mlssis-
sipot in southwestern. Wisconsin and northeastern
toya Here the two states own the land under
the river the federal government controls lts
navigation part Of the proposed area is Wlscon-
ain state park some of the land will he donated
and the land TO be purchased by the government
mas been appraised at d very moderate price
Can congress condemn private holdings for ma
Honal park purposesf
: Nobody seems to know. Most lawyers would
eae blf hand that the state of Indiana can CON
de,nn the dunes for state park purposes. And
presumably the state of Indiana could transfer the
land to the federal government. The national park
service has been looking into the question or con-
de,.patiop 1t is advised that the government can
couaernn private holdings inside OF national park
ho,,ndaries-in fact, bill is pending to condemn
IGU acres In General Grant National park which
the owner will not sell for reasonable price. AS
td fhe condemnation of patented land outside OF
n uasfopaI park the national park service is yet
,,odecided Condemnation OF tie dunes has been
mnvocatM by private individuals and by the press
The creation of Lafayette National park has
sefshshed this precedent: The FEDERAL govern
..enf viii accept suitable land presented to 1t for
,,ational park purposes. Se while other questions
SIRE belng thrashed out. the Indiana. Illinois and
nIIebigan tederatfons of the General Federation
81 womens Clubs are engaged In campaign to
raise sufficient money by subscription to purchase
me dunes and present them to the government for
n national park