Evening star., 1925-01-27
CAROL|NANS FIGHT
PARKS MEASURE
Seek to Have Section in Own
State Selected, But Have
Little Support.

Despite the fact that President Cool
tdge and Secretary Of the Interior
Work have formally approved the
Temple bill for the creation of two
great national parks in the East, one
in the Blue Ridge Mountains OF Vir-
ginia and the other in the Great
Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, ma
Chinery has been set on foot by the
North Carolina delegation in Con-
gress to block passage of the meas
ure and again open the competition
of sites for the parks.
Announcement that the North Car
olina delegation would soon sponsor
a Composite bill, whose main object
would be to disregard the work of
the expert Southern Appalachian Ma
tional Park Commission and have ap-
pointed a congressional committee to
inspect the various sites all over
again, drew from Secretary Work to-
day a statement that passage of such
legislation would completely end his
official interest in the matter.
Early passage of the Temple bill is
generally forecast. however, in view of
the fact that Il is regarded as having
the unanimous support of every State
except North Carolina. Representative
Temple Of Pennsylvania, author of the
measure and chairman Of the commits
sion that selected the two proposed sites,
Il
the measure before the House commit
tee on public lands some time this week.
Criticize North CnrOlinians.
The stand assumed by North Caro-
lima was criticized today by persons
who have no selfish interest in the es-
tablishment of the two parks. 1t was
pointed out that the State cannot
possibly hope TO have the area 1t is
inn oil ri
and is willing to jeopardize the Gre
alton Of the other parks on the mere
chance that the Governments stand
ards as to what a national park
should contain might be lowered.
Although the Temple bill gives
North Carolina part Of the proposed
Great Smoky Mountain National Park,
the area lying half in North Carolina
and half in Tennessee. the former is
insistent upon the selection of another
section, known as the Linville Gorge
and Grandfather Mountain, for the
park. Experts have declared there
are a number of reasons why this
area could never be accepted.
Four Objections Raised.
In the first place, experts declare,
It is cut in two places by railroads;
second, 1t is so thickly settled in some
spots that WnOlG comm UnlIleS WOuiO
have to be dispossessed to take over
the reservation: third. that the wild
fora and fauna have virtually been
exterminated in these areas, and.
fourth, great tracts of the area are
already owned by the National Forest
Service, which would never surren-
der them for the use of the National
Park Service.
The Southern Appalachian National
pa L Tnr, 1r,ais ion I'M tod nri
visited that area and went over 1t
very thoroughly and was accepted as
the Governments official committee.
1t was obliged to decide against the
site in favor Of the Blue Ridge and
Great Smoky areas because the latter
two contained so many more features
necessary in a national park. In ad-
dition they are largely in the original
wild State.
Work Hits Composite Bill.
When these facts were laid before
officials from North Carolina today
they explained that the North Caro-
lima delegation in Congress does not
now regard the Southern Appalachian
National Park Commission as having
acted in an official capacity. 1t was
pointed out that the Endorsement
given the Temple bill by President
Coolidge and Secretary Work bears
no weight, nor does the unbiased
status of the committee itself.
Secretary Work pointed out that
the so-called composite" bill would
destroy the Temple measure and that
adoption of the former, if it is pre-
sented in time for action, would
promptly end his official interest in
the matter. 1t is scarcely likely that
the measure could even get past the
Bureau of the Budget. Before being
submitted it must be approved by
the North Carolina Park Commits
sion, which first inspired it.
See Prompt Action.
Gen. Lord has already approved a
SIS, 900 appropriation for the setting
up of machinery necessary for the
creation of the two parks that have
been properly presented.
This money will be used 10 in
vestigate the process necessary for
acquisition OF the land in the two
areas and other matters which will
be presented to the next Congress.
Secretary Work sent his recommen-
dation Of the temple with that of
President Coolidge and Gen. Lord
yesterday.
Tennessee and Virginia have vir-
tually joined forces in the fight for
passage Of the bill It already had
the united support of the Northern
and Western States, to whom either
of the two proposed parks would be
far more accessible than the Linville
site, in North Carolina The other
Southern States, it is said, are about
lined up for II also With this united
front, it is regarded as likely of being
passed before this Congress adjourns