The Elk Mountain pilot. [volume] (Irwin, (Ruby Camp), Gunnison County, Colo.) 1880-19??, 1919-06-05
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gates were present from % states in the vast
basin between the Aileghenies and the Rockies
1725 square miles. nren about eight times the
size of either France or Germany. 1t Is one of the
garden spots of the world. century $50 all OF
1t to the of the Mississippi WAS unex-
piorcd wilderness We bought that wilderness
from the French in 1903 for S15,0OoOoO. Half
score of states have been carved from that Louis
lana Purchase"
The whole Mississippi wiley contains more than
half of our 11OOOO.OOO people.
ave have banded to promote the interests OF
this big region" s1fd President Harry II. Merrick
In his keynote address. land are determined
nothing shall preve'st the accomplishment OF our
purpose The Mississippi valley wants certain
things. Some of them we shall have to get Mt
Washington. Our % states control % per cent
of the men In congress. and II they don't do what
We want there1l be hell to pay md no pitch hot"
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 QUE and all along
the line that Mississippi valley means from the Do
mInion border to the gulf and from the Aleghenies
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 a 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 as one Of the great
economic assets of the nation but also as public
Fairgrounds necessary to the mental. moral and
physical welfare OF the people. The United States
now has 10 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-
lnrged 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 Ma
tional park rs easily 1t can Its $25,OOO.OU
bnnk!" But this Is one Of the things the associa
ton will "have to get at Washington since 1t can
be established only by an act of congress. And
congress has fixed policy regarding the estab-
Ishment Of national parks. 1t is platitude to say
that politics should be eliminated from the estab
Iishment of these public Fairgrounds Neverthe-
less some Of the ercest political contests In con-
gress are fought over their creation. By way OF
example 1t may be stated that 1t took six years Of
persistent effort to 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 act
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
were taken from national forests and automaticn-
" came under control of the national park serv-
ice a bureau of the department OF the Interior
The creation of these two national parks thus took
awoy 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 bill In the last congress after
q, Ind been passed by the house; brought to naught
Tho Roosevelt National park bill in the house pub
lie ,nnds committee after 1t had been passed by the
SENATE. and is opposing the Greater Rocky Noun
tnin National park bill 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 fu-
tUre.
,horo vii, lie no forest service opposition because
The proposed park area is in national forest;
,he lands are privately owned and must be &C