The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1923-08-30
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national organization Of defense. about
100000 strong was quickly effected. The Smith
bill was killed In the house, after 1t Ind passed
the senate. The Jones Esch bill! exempting ma
tonnl parks present and future, from the jurs-
dicton OF the water power commission was intro
duccd and forced forward. The water power In
terests were powerful enough. however. to force
compromise amendment which exempted only
the existing national parks. The Jones. Esch bill
was passed by the Sixty-sixth congress.
In December OF 1920 Senator Walsh Of Montana
championed n bill to dam Yellowstone lake for
an irrigation scheme In Montana. A long and
hard-fouRht battle followed In June Of 1921 Sec
retary Of the Interior Fall reported on the bill
and strndded on the question OF protection. hold
Ing that power and irrigation development in the
national parks should be only ION specific author
izaion OF congress- the works to be constructed
and controlled by the federal government" There
upon Senator Walsh proposed q new bill providing
that the United States reclamation service should
build and operate the Yellowstone lake dam The
defenders OF the pnrk proved That the DUN could
be built To greater advantage outside the pnrk
In 1929 the upholdcrs Of the parks won n victory
by elccting Scott Leavitt In Montana 10 congress
jerome Locke. originator Of the dam project
The final result Of the fight that the Sixty
seventh congress- adjourned March L. 1929. lcav
Ing the Walsh dam In the committees pigeonholes
Efforts To revive II nrr expected In the Sixty
eighth congress.
During these three years another victory OF
great importance along the same line was the
smothcrng In committee Of the All.Y"nr National
park bill. personally drafted ana sponsored by
Secretary Fall. This bill created II national park
in the Mcscalcro Indian reservation In New Mex.
leo out OF several insignificant spots widely sep.
nraied plus an irrigation and power reservoir
ninety miles away II would hive introduced both
wn,cr power and irrigation into the national park
system. There nation wide protest against
this bill In which New Mexico Itself took nm
nctlyc pnrt The bill Il too dcnd, IL IN believed,
to be rcsuscltated.
A third victory called nationwide attention to
another danger that thrcn'encd-nnd SIN 'hrent'
ens-the national parks The victory was the de
feni Of the Slcmp bin crcntng Ia. Appalachian
National park out Of Virginia mountain top !,
was opposed the ground that the nrcn was
below the proper national pnrk Guniity. II wns
favored by Secretary fn who In his report 20
the public lands committee said that his policy
wns to substitute n widsoprn rccrcnionnl park
system Of mnny sinnll Fairgrounds for our his.
toric national park system.
The late Franklin x. Lane ns secretary Of the
Interior In 1913 nailed down this plank In the
national pnrk Platform:
In studying new park projects you should seek
to ma SCENERY 81 supr"m. and distinctive quality
or som" natural foh,uf" % extraordinary unique
to be Of national interest md Importance -
Tho national park system constituted
should not be lowered In standard. dignity and
prostIg" by tn. Inclusion Of areas which .pproa.
In less than IN" highest terms IN. particular elias.
kind Of exhibit which they represent
President Harding was the FRS, president to mn.
nounc. publicly general administration policy
Of absolute conservation for the national phrgs
system and for all Of its units Both Roosevelt
md Thft were good friends Of the national pnrks
but preservation nsnlnsi commercial invasion wns
not II question In their days. President Wilson
In his first term signed the He'ch Hetcly bill
giving Sun francisco the Ynt.r supply reservoir
In Yosemite which hns Jus, been completed: It's
secret water power purpose was not then zen.
emily understood. President Wilson however
stood by the national parks loyalty md powcrfully
in the fight TO exempt them from the Jurisdiction
Of the wnter power commission