The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1924-03-12

7ySVeih' lor II congress grants Sen
ator Walsh his way with Yellowstone
it cannot refuse to grant others their
way with other national parks.
There is only one way to defeat
this very dangerous bill, and hat is
TO tell your representatives in the
Sixty-seventh Congress what YOU
want them to do. There are q
hundred and thirty new members in
the new Congress who have not vet
heard the peoples purpose"
From the first, the promoters in
voked politics, and prospered. Poll
ticians joined in the popular cry, and
Montana was to blossom at last, at the
expense of Yellowstone park, one of
the choice spots of America!
The plan originated in Livingston.
Montana, as a rival to an Idaho
scheme of several years previous, to
dam Yellowstone lake and tunnel it's
water into Idaho.
Under cunning wording Of the bill,
the Livingston group was to build.
operate and control the dam, and reap
the financial returns, ever from n
water power which might develop in
Yellowstone park.
While the bill would logically have
gone to the Committee on Public
Lands, Senator Walsh had it referred
to the Committee on immigration. he
being a member of that committee.
In February, 1921, Senator Walsh
had what he had planned to be secret
meeting of the committee called, with
the Livingston promoters on the
ground. Alert to the situation, the
officers Of the National Park associ-
alton secured the presence of Super
intendent Horace NJ. Albright, of yell
lowstone National park and George
+. Goodwin, chief engineer of the ma
tional park service. These hearings
covered four days, and disclosed the
nature of the scheme.
superintendent Albright stated the
proposed dam would submerge a part
of Yellowstone park and destroy much
of its beauty. Engineer Goodwin call
ed it an impractical project.
The Walsh bill provided that ma
tiOnal park authorities shall have
nothing to do with the amount of
water permitted to flow in the river
over the falls. The state of Mon
tana was to control, and perhaps the
Yellowstone Irrigation Association of
Livingston! GA former Livingston
newspaper manager was the ring
leader in the scheme.)
Despite all the government expert
testimony, in May, 1921, a typewriter
circular signed by Thomas j. Walsh,
was sent to every member of Congress.
The government expert testimony was
omitted. According to Bulletin No. 20
June 8, 1921 of the National Parks
association, the circular signed by
Senator Walsh contributed the testi-
mOny of government experts. Sen
ator Walsh claimed it was not a
water power scheme. The bill reads
"any revenue derived from the said
reserve use (for power) shall accrue
to the state of Montana for the bene-
fit. CT said state or the irrigation dis.
trict G district assuming the charge
of the construction of said DAM"
Senator Walsh claimed the federal
government would not spend a dollar
Government experts showed the gov
eminent would be compelled to re-
place roads, build new bridges and a
lake pier and parts of the fisheries
hatcheries.
May Is, 1921, the Bozeman Chron-
icle (democratic) said:
whether or not the granting of
the special privilege in this particular
case would result in detriment to the
beauties of the park, is not to our
mind the issue at stake, but rather
the fact that a granting of this parti-
cular request would form a precedent
and the head of the camel would then
be inside the tent and it would be
time for the family to move out. The
Chronicle is unalterably opposed tc
the granting of any vested rights
within the park to any state corpor-
alton, association or other combina-
ton of individuals whatever"
Senator Walsh, now posing as the
special guardian of the public inter
ests to save the government oil lands
from spoilation by private parties, II
1921 was willing to sacrifice the beau.
ties of Yellowstone park and deprive
the government of valuable property
for the benefit of private interests in
the state of Montana-the state he