The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-08-30
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A national organization of defense, about
4OVO,0W strong, was quickly effected. The Smith
bin was killed in the house, after 1t had passed
the senate. The JOnes-Esch bill! exempting ma
tonal parks, present and future, from the juris-
dtctiOn of the water power commission was intro
duced- and forced forward. The water power In
terests were powerful enough, however. TO force
a compromise amendment which exempted only
the existing national parks. The Jones-Esch bill
was passed by the Sixtysixth congress.
In December of 1920 Senator Walsh of Montana
championed a bill to dam Yellowstone lake for
an irrigation scheme in Montana. A long and
hard-fought battle followed. In June of 1921 Sec
rotary OF the Interior Fall reported on the bill
and straddled on the question of protection, hold
Ing that power and irrigation development in the
national parks should be only ION specific author
ization of congress, the works to be constructed
and controlled by the federal government" There
upon Senator Walsh proposed a new bill providing
that the United States reclamation service should
build and operate the Yellowstone lake dam. The
defenders of the park proved that the dam could
be built TO greater advantage outside the park.
In 1920 the upholders of the parks won a victory
by electing Scott Leavitt in Montana to congress
over Jerome Locke, originator of the dam project.
The final result of the fight was that the Sixty
seventh congress adjourned March 4, 1923, leav-
ing the Walsh dam in the committees pigeonholes.
Efforts to revive it are expected in the Sixty
eighth congress.
During these three years another victory Of
great Importance along the same line WIS the
smothering In committee of the All-Year National
park bill, personally drafted and sponsored by
Secretary Fall. This bill created a national park
In the Mescalero Indian reservation in New Mex
leo out of several insignificant spots widely sep.
arated, plus an irrigation and power reservoir
ninety miles away. 1t would have introduced both
water power and irrigation into the national park
system. There was a nationwide protest against
chic hill In which New MpYipo s. itself toak an
active part. The bill is too dead, It is believed,
to be resuscitated.
A third victory called nationwide attention to
another danger that threatened-and still threat
ens-the national parks. The victory was the de-
feat CT the Slemp bin creating the Appalachian
National park out Of a Virginia mountain top. 1t
was opposed on the ground that the area was
below the proper national park quality. 1t was
favored by Secretary Fall, who In his report to
the public lands committee said that his policy
was to substitute a wide-open recreationaI park
system of many small Fairgrounds for our his
foric national park system.
The late Franklin X. Lane. as secretary of the
Interior In 1918, nailed down this plank In the
national park platform:
In studying new park projects you should GEEK
to ind scenery Of supreme and distinctive quality
or some natural feature 80 extraordinary or UNIQUE
as to be OF national interest and Importance !"
The national park system as now constituted
should not be lowered In standard. dignity and
prestige by the inclusion of areas which express
In less than the highest terms the particular class
or kind of exhibit which they represent
President Harding was the first president to an
nounce publicly a general administration policy
Of absolute conservation for the national parks
system and for all Of its units. Both Roosevelt
and Taft were good friends Of the national parks.
but preservation against commercial invasion was
not a question In their days. President Wilson.
In his first term, signed the Hetch Hetchy bin
giving San Francisco the water supply reservoir
In Yosemite which has just been completed; Its
secret water power purpose was not then gen.
orally understood. President Wilson. however
stood by the national parks Loyalty and powerfully
In the fight to exempt them from the Jurisdiction
Of the water power commission.