The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-09-07
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A national organization of defense, about
4,OOO,OOO strong, quickly effected The Smith
Dill was killed in the house, after it had passed
the senate. The Jones Esch bill exempting ma
tonal parks, present and future from the jurs-
dicton of the water power commission intro
duced 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 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
izatl0n 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
buih 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 1922 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 that the Sixty
seventh congress adjourned March 4. 1923, leav-
ing the Walsh dam in the committees pigeonholes
Efforts to revive 1t are expected in the Sixty
eighth congress-
During these three years another victory of
great Importance along the line was the
smothering In committee of the AlYear National
park bill, personally drafted and sponsored by
Secretary Fall. This bill created national park
In the Mescaero Indian reservation In New Mex
leo out of several Insignificant spots widely sep
arated, plus irrigation and power reservoir
ninety miles away. II would have introduced both
water power and irrigation into the national park
system. There was a nationwide protest against
this bill, In which New Mexico itself took an
active part. The bill is too dead, it is believed
to be resuscitated.
third victory called nationwide attention to
another danger that threatened-and still threat
ens-the national parks. The victory the de-
feat of the Slemp bill creating the Appalachian
National park out of 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 wide-open recreational park
system of many small Fairgrounds for our his
torc 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 park projects you should seek
to find scenery OF and distinctive quality
or natural feature extraordinary or unIous
as to be Of national interest and Importance :"
should be lowered in standard dignity and
prestige by the inclusion OF areas which express
In less than the highest the particular class
or kind of exhibit which they represent
President Harding was the first president TO an
nounce publicly general administration policy
of absolute conservation for the national narks
system and for all of Its units. Both Roosevelt
md Taft were good friends of the national parks
)ut preservation against commercial Invasion was
lot a question In their days. President Wilson
n his 1rst term, signed the Hetch Hetchy bin
irving San Francisco the water supply resarvoIr
n Yosemite which has Just been completed. its
ecret water power purpose was not then gem
rally understood President Wilson. however
TODD by the national parks loyalty and powerfully !
a the light to exempt them from the Jurisdiction !
4 the water power commission