The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1919-06-06

gates were present from % states in the vast
basin between the Alleghenies and the Rockies
1725 square miles, area about eight times the
size of either France Germany II is one of the
garden spots of the world century ago all OF
1t to the west of the Mississippi unex-
plored wilderness. We bought that wilderness
from the French In 1903 for $15,000,O0O Half a
of states have been carved from that Louis
lana Purchase"
The whole Mississippi valley contains more than
half of our 110,OOOOOO people.
1--WE have banded to promote the interests OF
this big region" said President Harry II. Merrick
in his keynote address, "and we are determined
nothing shall prevent the accomplishment OF our
purpose. The Mississippi valley wants certain
things. Some OF them we shall have to get at
Washington Our % states control So per cent
Of the men In congress, and If they don't do what
want there'll be hell to pay and no pitch not
The association would teach the valley interests
from Chicago and Minneapolis to New Orleans and
Galveston; from st. Louis to Kansas City from
Detroit to Denver and so In and out and all along
the line that Mississippi valley means from the DO
minion border to the gulf and from the Alleghenes
to the Rockies and that the easiest way out Is not
over the Rockies to the Pacific nor via the narrow
bottle neck of New York to the Atlantic, but by
waterways nature intended for mans use
Value Of National Parks
1--WE are putting American citizenship above the
dollar" said Honorary President John Nj. Parker
Of New Orleans in the opening address I'VE
are considering conditions brought about by the
war These changed conditions open new chap
ter In the history of our valley empire"
The changed conditions of which Mr.. Parker
spoke include the recognition of the national parks
OF the United States not only one of the great
economic assets of the nation, but also as public
Fairgrounds necessary to the mental, moran ana
physical welfare of the people. The United States
now has IS national parks. Their standard is high
They contain some of the most magnificent scenery
In the world. The system Is to be still farther en-
larged by creating several new parks
The army of national park enthusiasts will cry
with one accord. would that the Mississippi Val
ley association could establish the Mississippi M
! tional park easily as it can Its S2o,ooooOo
| bank !" But this is of the things the assocla
ton will have to get at Washington. since 1t can
be established only by an act of congress. And
| congress has no fixed policy regarding the estab
lishment of national parks 1t is platitude to say
that politics should be eliminated from the estab
lishment of these public Fairgrounds. Neverthe-
less some of the fiercest political contests in con
gress are fought their creation. BY way of
example 1t may be stated that 1t took six years of
persistent effort pass in 1915 the act creating
Rocky Mountain national park the most popular
of all the scenic national parks, and ten years to
pass In 1919 the Grand Canyon National park net
In each case unofficial leaders of the national
| park movement say the influential opposition was
| the active hostility of the forest service the bu-
! reau of the department of agriculture which has
charge of the national forests. The reason for this
active hostility is plain Both these national parks
| we're taken from national forests and automatical-
| TX came under control of the national park sery-
! ice n bureau of the department of the interior.
The creation of these two national parks thus took
| owav n large area from the control of the forest
! service and correspondingly weakened its political
influence
The forest service defeated the Greater Yellow
stone National park bin in the last congress after
il Ind been passed by the house, brought to naught
tho Roosevelt National park bill in the house pub
he lands committee after it had been passed by the
senate and is opposing the Greater Rocky Noun
min National park bin for the addition of Mount
Evans
Students of political conditions predict show
down between the department of the interior and
the department of agriculture in the Immediate flu
ture.
In the case of Mississippi Valley National park
there will be no forest service opposition because
the proposed park area is In national forest
the lands are privately owned and must be ac-