, 1924-04-23

proposed appropriation for the i'm
provement of the roads in the ma
tional parks. Howard Hays, presi-
den of the Yellowstone Park Camps
company, has given the following in
terview in which he quotes from the
record of the testimony presented
on behalf of the appropriation of
$7;5OO,0 900 for road building pur-
poses. Mr.. Hays avs:
"The national park road bill Oh.
X. 36S2) provided that a total sum
of 81, 500, 900 is available for the
secretary of the interior for the pur-
pose of construction, reconstruction
and improvement of roads, trails
and bridges in the national parks
and monuments. 1t is to be allotted
in three annual installments of 81
500 900, beginning this year.
Director Mather. Assistant Direc-
tor Cammerer and Superintendent
Albright have been working on this
bill for several years. Superintend-
ent, in his winter role of field as
sistant to the director. has visited
all the parks for a study of the road
problems and I feel safe in saying
that most of the details have beer
worked out by him. During the
hearings before the house committee
on public lands, held during Feb
ruary. Superintendent Albright APP
peared for four days and assumed
most of the burden of ably explain
ing and defending the provisions OF
the bill.
"In congress. both Senator Walsh
and Representative Leavitt were
champions of the measure. The
testimony before the house commit
tee, of which Scott Leavit is a mem
Der. shows that Representative Lea
witt not only Emphasized the neces-
sity for the passage of the bill but
also lost nc opportunity to explain
the further necessity for federal
funds for the Observation-Disclosures
approach road.
yellowstone park is to receive
$3.50. 900 over a period of three
years. According to Superintendent
Albright's statement. the money is
to be spent as follows:
al. Widening, improving and
maintaining the grand loop road in
Guiding the Strengthening of urves
building parapets. etc.
20. Reconstruction of the old
road between the Thumb and Lake
camp in order to avoid the dry te-
dious drive over the mountains in
the vicinity of the "knotty forest
The old road, which followed the
lake shore almost the whole dis
lance, was abandoned about twenty
years ago, probably for the reason
that it is sever miles longer than
the present road. In the old stage
coach days and extra seven miles
in an afternoon made a big differ
ence. When the lake shore road i.
rebuilt it will give Yellowstone {
veritable lake shore drive 25 miles
long with a panorama of lake anC
mountain unsurpassed in the world
"3. Completion of the Fireholt
cutoff. the road which leads from
Madison Junction to the FireholC
rapids. This cutoff was half com
pleted prior to the war. The new
road will open up picturesque Fire,
hole canyon and eliminate the road
over the hill.
-. Restoration of the road from
Mammoth Paint Pots by way of the
Great Fountain Geyser. Firehole
lake, Black Warrior and Surprise
pool. This Improvement will place
all these wonders on the main high.
way.
Secretary Work. in a letter to Rep.
resentative Sinnott. chairman of the
committee on public lands, calls at.
tention to the fact that while S54O,
900 900 has been authorized for the
federal aid program and $4,000.
600 for road work within national
forests, only $780, 900 has beer
appropriated for roads in all the ma.
tional parks. Almost half of this
sum .$1,4S2.OOO. was spent in Vel
lowstone park"