The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-05-11
pRUssIoNIzED PARKS

t1on ana Improvement OF Granu Gan
yon National park from the interior
appropriation bill will, at first sight,
appear to be false economy and SER
ious blow to the comfort and conven-
fence of many thousands of American
nature lovers. If it serves to call ma
tional attention to the evils of the
present methods of administering the
national park system if will prove an
almost unadulterated benefit.
Our national parks are intended to
be national Fairgrounds, open to all
the people on terms of equality. They
are planned to conserve the greatest
wonders and beauties of the conti-
nent, and to make them available to
as many persons as possible at min
imum of expense and inconvenience.
So far as they accomplish that pur-
pose they bring pleasure, health, rec
reation, and spiritual stimulation to
thousands of visitors annually. In so
far as methods of administration de-
feat that purpose the parks fail of
their purpose, and public funds spent
upon them represent waste and in
justice.
Senator Cameron of Arizona, oppos-
ing the Grand Canyon appropriation,
said the money would go to build
community houses, trails, and roads
over which zone corporation could
put on buses and get that much
more from the public" He spoke a
truth which such famous men in the
outdoor life of America as Enos Mills
of Colorado, and Henry B. Joy, first
president of the Lincoln Highway as
sociation, have been trying for long
time to bring home to the American
public which owns and should use the
parks.
The Grand Canyon park situation is
typical. The monopolization of park
concessions under the system which
gives the director of the national SER
vice, an interior department appoin-
tee, absolute control, has resulted in
great injustices to visitors and poten-
tial visitors to virtually every nation
al park in the country.
For instance, in the Rocky Noun
tain National park we find park rang
ers, government employees, acting as
policemen to bar from the roads au-
tomobiles running in competition
with the park transportation monop-
oily, while volunteers fight forest
fire and trails go to ruin.
AT Estes park we find ranger, ar
rested on visitors charge of assault,
admitting the attack and explaining
it as made while enforcing his orders
to keep any Torrent cars except those
owned by the transportation company
off the Fall River road, which was
built by the state and is maintained
from state funds. In Yellowstone
park we find the park officials charg-
ing $3.50 toll on each private car
passing over roads built by the pub
lie, and doing this not by act of con-
gress but on recommendation of the
park transportation monopoly. In adj
uitlOn, tne private car owner is Tor
hidden to pass monopoly cars on the
road, and must give right of way at
all times.
Visitors are similarly mulcted by
hotels, camps, and supply depots,
without any redress. The whole ad-
ministration of the parks is Prussian-
ized. Instead of being made acces-
sible, convenient. and within the
financial resources of great numbers
of visitors, they are maintained for
few who will submit to high prices
and any service offered by the conces-'
sionaires. Where hundreds of thou
sands might visit them annually, they
now have tens of thousands.
In such circumstances it seems that
the senate action on the Grand Can
yon park was entirely proper May
it lead eventually to complete reor-
ganization of the park administration
system.-Chicago Tribune.
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