Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-05-15

q tantativa nrooram and calls a national confer
ence on outdoor recreation which - now unuer
way at Washington. Says the president IN part
Particularly within the last decade. the outdoor
recreation spirit among people mas increased
rapidly During this period there have been put
forward projects-federal. municipal. state ana
private-to expand and conserve tnrouenoue Inc
country our recreational opportunities
It is almost idle to emphasize their value 70
tha country The physical vigor, moral strength
the clean simplicity of mind of the American peo-
pIe can be UNNECESSARILY furthered by the properly
q Yorded by our forests, mountains, and water
ways Life in the open is great character builder:
freedom springs Furtherng the opportunities OF
all for such life ranks in the general class with
though all are concerned in this matter. the lead
must be and should be taken by the national gov
/ eminent Our national government Is already con-
cerned in many phases Of it, but in an incoherent
manner In the administration OF national parks.
rational forests wid-lfe reserves. and unreserved
domain the government holds almost unlimited
opportunities for this form Of public service
In order to handle this matter properly to adjust
the widely separated viewpoints and interlock the
| interests concerned efficiently. there would be
dahnite and clearly prescribed national policy. The
whole matter, being nationwide in its scope. de-
mands such handling. The object to be secured
which should merely coordinate under federal
guidance all activities in behalf Of outdoor
| tion but also formulate a program to serve a
guide for future action
Assistant Secretary Of the Navy Roosevelt, ex-
ecutive chairman of the conference, sent out in
yitations to more than one hundred organizations
IN send delegates. Secretaries Weeks, Work, Wal
lace Hoover and Assistant Secretary Roosevelt
wore the members Of the committee asked by the
President to suggest to him how a national out
door recreation policy could "best be formulated
and put into action"
This committee is fttingly constituted and the
vorl, of its members will be largely a labor of
love Secretaries Weeks, Work and Wallace are
the three members of the federal power commits
sion which has general administrative control over
oil waterpower sites on the public lands and reser
vations existing national parks excepted Mr.
Weeks as secretary of is interested in public
roads is in charge of the national military parks
and is president of the national forest reserva-
zion commission, which under the Weeks act has
mode extensive forest purchases in the White
mountains and Appalachians.
DR. Work, as secretary of the interior, controls
the national park service, the general land Office
tba office of Indian affairs, and the bureau of edu-
cation. Secretary Wallace is in control of the
forost service which administers the national for
o+c. and the bureaus of biological survey, public
roads and plant industry.
Secretary Hoover has charge of the bureau of
fisheries and is officially interested in mining and
TRANSFORMATION Moreover, be is president Of the
National Parks association, an unofficial nation
wide organization of nature lovers influential In
directing the activities of the National Park
ARMY" This "Army" has voting strength of A.,
100000 and it's political power has been strikingy