The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-06-06

gates We're present from % states in the vast
basin between the Alleghenies and the Rockies
lips square miles, about eight times the
size of either France Germany. 1t is one of the
garden spots of the world A century ago all of
it to the west OF the Mississippi an unex-
plored wilderness. We bought that wilderness
from the French in 1903 for S15,0O0,000 Half
score of states have been carved from thGt Louis
lana Purchase"
The whole Mississippi valley contains more than
half of our 100000 people.
I'VE have banded to promote the interests of
this big region said President Harry Fl. Merrick
in his keynote address, land we determined
nothing shall prevent the accomplishment of our
purpose. The Mississippi valley wants certain
things. Some of them shall have to get at
Washington. Our % states control 80 per cent
of the men in congress. and II they don't do what
want thereT be hell to pay and 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 out and all along
the line. that Mississippi valley 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 via the narrow
hottie neck of New York to the Atlantic, but by
waterways nature intended for mans use.
Value of National Parks.
I'VE are putting American citizenship above the
dollar" said Honorary President John NJ. Parker
of New Orleans in the opening address eve
considering conditions brought about by the
war. These changed conditions open new chap
ter in the history of 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, moral and
physical welfare of the people. The United States
now has 1s national parks Their standard is high.
They contain 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 cond establish the Mississippi Ma
tional park as easily it its S25O 100000
bank!" But this is one of the things the associa-
ton will have to get at Washington, since it can
be established only by an act of congress And
congress has fixed policy regarding the estab-
Hshment of national parks. II is platitude to say
that politics should be eliminated from the estab
lishment of these public Fairgrounds. Neverthe-
less of the fercest political contests in con-
ssress fought their creation. By way of
example it may be stated that it 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-
of the department of agriculture which has
charge of the national forests The for this
active hostility is plain Both these national parks
We're taken from national forests and automatcal-
ly came under control of the national park serv-
ice bureau of the department of the interior
The creation of these two national parks thus took
away 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
it had been passed by the house; brought to- naught
the Roosevelt National park bill in the house pub
lie lands committee after It had been passed by the
senate, and is opposing the Greater Rocky Noun
tain National park bin for the addition of Mount
Evans.
Students of political conditions predict a show
down between the department of the interior and
the department of agriculture in the immediate flu
ture.
In the 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-