Evening star., 1926-05-16
WILDERNESS PLAY PLACES
URGED in WIDE PROGRAM
U. S. Officials and Ranking Citizens Back
Plea of Conservationists for More
Outdoor Recreation.

One eminent COnServationist, AID"
Leopold. who has worked with the
national conference, believes firmly
that one wilderness area could be fitted
into the national forests of each State
without material sacrifice of other
kinds of Fairgrounds or oeher uses
Additional wilderness areas. he be
lieves, could be fitted into the various
national parks.
Mr.. Leopold. foreseeing the day
when there will be no more deep viii.
dernesses left in this country. says
there would usually be necessary tp
the carrying out of such a program
neither new costs nor new laws nor
new work. Simply a we'll ponde-ed
administrative decision delimitinG the
areas and in such areas establishing -
permanent closed season ON roads. cot
tageS on other developments ininlicai
10 wilderness use.
ITO urge that wilderness play
grounds are unnecessary because am
pie forest Fairgrounds of other kinds
are already being established he
adds, lis just as idle as TO urge thai
there is no need for public tennis
courts because there are already pub
lie golf links.
THE two things represent different
needs of different people, each entitled
their numbers and Importance. The
people in need of wilderness areas are
numerous. and the preservation of
their particular kind of contact with
Mother Earth is a national problem.
Growth Of Original Idea.
The acceptance of the idea Of vii
derness areas entails, | admit. a
growth in the original conception OF
national forests. The original pur-
poses were timber production and
watershed protection, and these are
and must remain the primary pur-
poses. But the whole subsequent his
tory of these forests has teen history
of the appearance and growth of new
uses. which. when skillfully adjusted
to the primary uses and TO each other.
were one by one provided for and the
net public benefit correspOndingly in
creased. Public recreation was one OF
these. When the forests were first
established recreation did not exist in
the minds of either the fOreSterS or
the public as an important use of
public forests. Today il has been
added to timber production and water
shed protection as an additional pub
lie service 1t has been proven that
skillful administration can provide for
both in the same system of forests
without sacrifice of either
The great wilderness area. fast di
minishinC with the onslaught Of the
timber seeker, the advent OF the auto
mobile and the ambition Of the enGi
neer who sees in them potentialitieS of
money. are not alone the goal of the
conservationists within the national
conference. The Department of Labor
has warned the conference that the
great human longing for uninterrupt
oA 1I y, r,f fl,a
parks in the cities and urban areas
must have free fling.
Aid to Working People.
Ethelbert Stewart. United States
commissioner Of labor statistics.
speaking for the department. has told
the conference that if Nellie of the
shoe factory wants to bring Joe from
the stock yards into a public park 10
do little ''neckinG' they shall not lee
prevented from using benches by blue
coated guardians of the law. And if
children of the ghetto want to make
use of the Ged-given grass in the park
areas set aside for them. let them lit
ter up the grass with the remains of
their lunches. just so they enjoy the
light and sunshine of the outdoors
The Labor Department contends that
the great human problem OF salts
ned WORKING people is 1ntlInateiE
bound up with unlimited use Of the
few hours and privileges given to the
small wage Garner. Mr.. Stewart ex
plains that the factory girl often has
no place TO entertain her boy friend.
and asks What better place than the
public park out in the free air and
away from the artificial restraints Of
a boarding house,"
Nellie would suffer species OF So
CiaI ostracism if she were to entertain
her stock yards friend in her hall bed
room, he points out. I'VE are more
interested in blue jeans than in blue
jays" he adds. although both he and
Secretary of Labor Davis expressed
their entire Willingness to work with
the Presidents committee and the con
ference for all the wilderness conser
vation aims outlined at the Midwinter
meeting