The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-06-13

gates were present from % states in the vast
basin between the Aleghenies and the Rockies
1925 square miles, an area about eight times the
size of either France or Germany. 1t is one OF the
garden spots Of the world. a century ago all OF
1t to the west Of the Mississippi was an uneX-
plcred wilderness. We bought that wilderness
from the French in 1903 for $15,000,000. Half a
score of states have been carved from that Louis
lana Purchase"
The whole Mississippi valley contains more than
half Of our 11O, o 900 people.
1--WE have banded to promote the interests of
this big region" said President Harry III. 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
We want thereIl 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 means from the Do
minion border TO the gulf and from the Alleghenies
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.
"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 or 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.
vThoy oontoin ON nP tho most ma ppi6cpnt 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 Ma
tional park as easily as it can its So, 600
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 no fixed policy regarding the estab-
ishment of national parks. 1t is a %platitude to say
that politics should be eliminated from the estab-
lishment Of these public Fairgrounds. Neverthe-
less some Of the fercest political contests In con-
gress are fought over 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 1910 the Grand Canyon National park act.
In each case, unofficial leaders of the national
park movement say, the influential opposition was
the active HOStlllly " III Vic q NiNc, IHC III
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 autOmatical-
ly 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
away a large area from the control Of the forest
service and CORRESPONDENCE weakened its political
influence.
The forest service defeated the Greater Yellow
stone National park bill in the last congress after
II had been passed by the house brought to naught
the Roosevelt National park bill In the house pub
uc lands comNistee after II had been passed by the
senate. and Is opposing the Greater Rocky Noun
tain National park bill 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 fu-
ture
IT. the case Of Mississippi Valley National park
tbeye will be no forest service opposition because
,bo proposed park area Is in a national forest;
she !, n,ls are privately owned and must be ac-