The Dolores star., 1923-09-07

grounds set apart by congress for the use of The
people forever. That official declaration OF ad
nlinstrGtlOn policy nothing less than absolute
protection of the national park system against
commercial invasion and exploitation.
Dr. John Wesley Hill, chancellor of Lincoln
Memorial university, made the declaration lie
officially represented President Harding and Sec
retary of the Interior Work at the Yellowstone
opening. His statement prepared, careful
and emphatic. 1t contained the following:
"And we are here today to celebrate the
annual opening of Yellowstone park. the largest
and most far-famed of national parks wooded
wilderness of three thousand three hundred square
miles, containing Incompatible waterfalls. more
geysers than found in the rest of the world all
put together. irrigated by rivers like miniature
lakes and beautifed by lakes like inland seas,
carved by canyons of subllmlty, decorated with
coors defying the painters art, punctured with
innumerabe boiling springs whose steam mingles
with feecy clouds, succeed with vast areas OF
petriied forests, sanctuary of safe retreat for
featbered songsters and wild beasts, a wonder
land. playground, sanitarium and university all
in one. where the eye feasts upon the riotous
coiors of flowers, ferns and rocks; the is
surged with the symphony of melodious sounds;
the mind is sated with thousand revelations OF
truth and beauty, and the jnded body. weary With
the trudge of thought and toll and travel ungirds
for song and dance beneath the shadows of the
everlasting hills.
yellowstone history is repete with crises
where the friends of the park and the park idea
plorers and discoverers to retain 1t intact against
the bold and presumptuous claims of the advo-
Gates Of special privilege, determined to CONNER
ciaIize this land Of wonder build railroads
through 1t, tunnel its mountains dam It's lakes
and streams, and secure stranelehOld mOnOpolies
with small compensation the government and
total loss TO the people.
And regardless Gt all facts and figures appeals
and threats therefore. any plan however meri-
torlous It's face for the commercial explota
tIon of parks must by the very nature Of its
aims and purposes be Immediately doomed to
failure
"Good projects, bad projects. Indifferent prof
ects all must face the fate, for II Is Mt ast
established policy of the government that onr
national parks must and shall forever be main
tained In absolute, unImpaired form not only for
the present, but for all time to come. r policy
which has the unqualified support of President
Harding.
This is TIC fixed policy OF the administration,
and can you 1t will not be modified. 1t
Will! not he swerved hairs breadth by any trflu-
ence financial political otherwise.
.'If rights granted to claimant, others
must follow, precedent must not be estab-
lished It would inevitably ruin the entire national
park system"
Doctor Hill might have been definite in
the matter of the attacks by commercial interests
upon Yellowstone. Since early In 1920 1t has
required increasing vigilance and aggressive or
canized effort the part of the vast army of
national park enthusiasts defeat these attacks.
During the winter and spring Of 1920 the Sixty.
sixth congress nearly passed the Smith bill Gre
atng a commercial irrigation reservoir in the
southwest corner Of Yellowstone for the benefit of
idaho. And It did pass the water power bill
granting to a commission power to ease public
wnters including those Of the national parks and
monuments. for water power.