The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1924-03-26
BIG APPROPRIATION
FOR PARK HIGHWAYS
SINNOTT BILL PASSES HOUSE
PROVIDING S2.50e, 900 FOR
PARK ROADS

Washington, Mar. 25.-"One Of tn
best business investments the govern
ment could make is proposed D. ne
Sinnott bill, which has Just passed the
House, providing s2,5OO,O 900 per yea!
for three years for construction AMI
improvement Of roads. trails. AMI
bridges in National PARIS" declares
the Republican Publicity Associate
through its president, Hon. Jonathan
Bourne, Jr. When we read il tn
New York papers long lists OF res
dents q the United States takin-
passage on steamers for Europ-.
chiefly for pleasure trips, there can
be no doubt Of the desirability u
making every reasonable effort 70 En-
courage these tourists 70 remain in IN
United States. Nothing more effec-
tive in that direction could be done
than me construction Of good nigh
ways in the National Parks so that
travel therein VIII be made safe,
convenient and pleasurable.
american tourists spend not less
han 500, 000,OC0 a year. and prob
ably much more than that, on The
other side Of the Atlantic. If an
considerable proportion Of these tour
lists could be induced to remain in the
United States the saving 70 the ma
ton would justify the appropriation
for road construction in the Parks.
But that would be only a minol
consideration. Even if this feature
Of the subject were given no consid-
Grafton whatever, the benefits that
would be derived by tourists who nev-
er think Of leaving the United States
would fully justify v a larger pro
portion than proposed by the Sinnott
Bill. Many thousands Of our citi-
zens visit the Parks every year. They
travel over roads only IL miles of
which, in the Parks, are paved. Very
few sections Of the road have any
thing that could be called hard sur
facing Of any character. Many Of
the roads are NARROW, and the grades
are unnecessarily steep. If the roads
were adequately improved travel in
the parks would be much more en-
jOyable for those who are accustomed
TO go there from year to year and
many more thousands would be at
tracted by the assurance that they
would be able to travel in comfort.
1t is surprising to read in the re-
port submitted by Congressman SIN
mott in behalf of his bill, that, since
1872, only S3,540,0O0 has been ex-
pended by the Federal. Government,
IN road building and improvement in
our National Park System, while il
is estimated that since 1915 the states
have expended nearly $4,000, 900 in
improving approach roads to Nation
al Parks. 1t is absurd that the road
leading to Mt. Rainier National Park
has been improved at a cost Of nearly
S4,000,000, but people who travel that
road to the Park entrance are re-
quired to purchase an automobile per
NIT at a cost Of $3.50, and then find
a road only 20 miles long-a road I'M
surfaced and scarcely in a safe con-
ditiOn for travel.
"The National Parks are not local
but national institutions. In fact they
are of more interest to Americans re-
siding at a distance than 20 those
who reside nearby. The greater num-
Der Of visitors, people who enjoy the
beauties OF the Parks the most, are
those who come from a distance.
From every viewpoint, therefore,
it is highly desirable that the govern
ment appropriate as much money as
can be used to good advantage from
year 10 year in the extension OF
roads making a larger area of the
Parks available for enjoyment by Wis
itors."