The Colorado statesman., 1924-07-19


them. Visitors to the 1S where records were kept
numbered but 212S26 last season But that is be-
cause the people know almost nothing about the
national monuments. Some day these national
monuments will be made easily accessible and fixed
up; then the people will flock to them. For all of
them are well worth seeing and many of them are
among the wonders of the world
With national parks and national forests and
national monuments, etc, ETC.. the public is nat
urally mixed up what's what Here's the right
of that:
There 10 national parks, each established by
n separate act of congress and all in charge of the
national park service of the Interior department.
Primarily they contain scenic features of national
Importance, though two-Hot Springs in Arkansas
and Platt in Oklahoma-are medicinal. They
kept far possible in their original wild state
and are wild life sanctuaries. They protected
against commercialism. Familiar names in the
tiona park system Yellowstone. Yosemite,
Rocky Mountain and Grand Canyon. Lafayette,
the coast of Maine, is the only scenic national
park east of the Mississippi Congress will not
purchase land for national park purposes and the
only public lands are in the West. Lafayette was
presented to the nation by publicspirted citizens
There are six national military parks-Gettys-
burg and Nicksburg are familiar examples-under
control of the War department.
There approximately 1913 national forests,
under control of the forest service of the Depart
ment of Agriculture They established for
scientific numbering and for grazing and
originally purely commercial propositions. The
Agricultural department however in its persistent
efforts to get control of the national parks, has
up recreational features in many national forests
in competition with the national parks.
Now come To the national monuments Ma
tonal Landmarks" would be "A fitting desg-
nation. Previous to 1906 the United States had
provision for the establishment of national
monuments. Pubic insistence became great
for the protection of natural wonders from vandal
ism that in 1906 the "Act for the Preservation of
American Antiquities" was passed by congress.
This act provides for the punishment of vandal-
ism and for permits to eXcavate and collect. Sec
ton of the act reads:
That President of the United States is hereby
authorized. In his discretion. to declare by public
proclamation historic landmarks historic and pre-
historic structures and other objects of historic or
scientific interest that situated upon the lands
owned or controlled by the government of the
United States to be national monuments and may
of which in all shall be confined to the small
est area compatible with the proper care and man
aEement of the objects to be protected.
Under this act about so national monuments are
row established About 30 are in charge of the
national park service and about 10 under control
of the forest service The War department con-
trolls three Exact figures cannot be given
changes are constantly occurring
OF those controlled by the forest service the
largest is Mount Olympus in Washington, which Is
region of mountains forests and glaciers and the
home of the Olympic elk. Bandeller in New Mex
leo contains numbers of prehistoric cliff
dweller ruins and is presumably slated for ma
tiona park honors. Bryce Canyon in Utnh-of
which more later-is an eroded canyon of 7.440
of the national park service the secretary of the
interior gives in addition to Devils Tower, FL
Moro and Petrlhed Forest-of which more later
the following as the list of the national monuments
under his charge. They have been grouped by this
ayiter. The list