Evening star., 1924-12-10
FAVORS TWO SITES
FORNAT|ONAL PARK
Appalachian Committee to
Meet Here Tomorrow to
Make Choice.

The Southern Appalachian National
Park Committee, appointed by Sec
retary of Interior Work to select the
most typical mountain area availa BILE
as site for the East's first great
national park, will hold its first meet
ing here tomorrow, to choose the out
standing area from the dozen or more
1t has inspected.
Before the end OF the week, the
committee will submit it's report to
Secretary Work, containing recon-
mendations of an ideal site for the
park, and it Is predicted by persons
close to the commissioners that the
Interior Department head will draft
bill Immediately and present it to
Congress before the first of the year
setting aside as Government reser-
walton.
Two Sites Likely
AS the time for the selection draws
nearer, it becomes even more ap-
parent, according to persons i'm
mediately in touch with the com
mittee, that it will recommend two
sites to Secretary Work-the Blue
Ridge Mountains of Virginia and the
Whether Mr.. Work will ask for the
aequision of both areas has not yet
been determined, however
Secretary Work probably will re-
ceive the report Friday evening, when
he entertains the committeeman al
his home. 1t is expected that he will
make the selection known in the
newspapers Sunday morning. Mr.
Work has indicated that he will wish
report and draw his own conclusions
before submitting the decision to
public discussion.
Wants Two Parks.
Members of the committee believe
that the East is entitled to at least
two national parks. The West already
has IL, distant Hawaii, !, and there
is another very small national reser-
vation up just off the coast of Maine
The contention is that unless both of
the areas under most serious con-
sideration are acquired immediately
they VIII be spoiled for national park
purposes through commercial ex-
ploitation of their forest wealths.
It has been pointed out by the com
mlssioners, all experts in the matter
OF national parks, that whatever
money Congress appropriated for the
reservations now would eventually be
returned to the Treasury, with inter
est. through the millions of dollars
that would be spent in them every
year oy the tourists who would make
them their Fairgrounds.
In the proposed Blue Ridge area
only 80 miles from Washington over
the newly built Lee highway, which
begins at Luray, with the famous
stony Man Mountain, and ends near
Staunton, rich historic memories there
would not be month of the wear
that the park would not be open for
the use of the public.
Fight Is Looming,
1t Is generally conceded that there
Will be a determined fight between
Virginia and Tennessee before Con
gress over the matter of which area
VIII be developed first, should both
be recommended by Secretary Work
in addition to the commissioners f. for n
1t is the approval of the Interior
Department head that will count most
on that question with Congress-
There is slight doubt in the minds
OF Informed persons, however. but
that the Blue Ridge Mountain area
will be developed first, unless land
owners in that section demand ex-
orbitant prices. Not only will Con-
gress be persuaded by the fact that
the Blue Ridge Park would be avail
able as week end resort spot to
35,000,000 persons. but also by the
fact that it can be converted into a
national park at far less expense
and in much less time Yet it does
not lack any of the majestic beauty
national park experts demand in
abundance in all such reservations.