Evening star., 1938-01-22
PARKSPERSONNEL
PRAISED BY |CKES
Takes Note of Criticism in
Conservation Confer
ence Talk.

gram and next years meeting place by
the board Of the American Planning
and Civic Association today brings
It's deliberations to . close after Sec.
retary Ickes. at last nights banquet
at the Willard Hotel, assured his
hearers that, although the National
Park Service is now under fire in
some quarters, its personnel Is among
the best in the Government service,
The cabinet of1icer, in the opinion
OF observers, alluded to the case of
Reno E. Stitely, 29-year-old former
chief OF the voucher unit of the Ma
tional Park Service, accused of taking
about 100000 from the Government,
when he said:
1T takes more than one man to
make an elephant out of fly speck."
He expressed confidence in the Ma
tional Park Service despite senatorial
criticism and observed that he has
not made any changes in the or
ganization, save to fill necessary va
cancies.
I'VE have followed the civil service
strictly" he said.
Delano Praises Personnel.
Frederic A. Delano, chairman of
the board OF the association, which
devoted the last two days to a confer
ence on national parks, paid tribute
to the women and men in the Gov
ernment service and said that in his
experience as railroad executive they
excel the type of men found in COR
porate management.
Arno B. Cammerer, director of the
National Park Service, comparing the
national parks to an investment for
America, declared that they are not
a luxury but said I'VE are dealing
with national thrift"
If We are to be and remain a
thrifty Nation, we must classify our
lands and resources according to their
greatest possible contribution to l1u-
man welfare. which means to classify
them according to their best uses"
he said.
Sees Parks rs Stabilizers.
J. Horace Mcfarland, past president
OF the association, told the meeting
Of the famous White House conserva-
ton conference presided over by
President Theodore Roosevelt. He
lauded Secretary 1ckes in saying 'if
We ever had firm friend of the
national parks it is the present Sec
retary Of the Interior" Mr.. McFar-
land declared that next to the city
of Washington the national parks
are the real citizen builders. He said
he has no fears for the future of
America, for people who love their
national parks can never be bolshe-
vized, made into a totalitarian state
or any kind of -arian.
The associations president, Horace
M. Albright. presided at the banquet.
At the annual business meeting of
the association, held last evening fol-
lowing the symposium on the future
of the National Park Service, these
members of the Board of Directors
were reelected: Mr.. Albright, Harold
S. Buttenheim of New York City, Mr..
Mcfarland and j. c. Nichols of Kan
sas City, while these new members
were chosen on the board: James M.
Langley of Concord, N. H.. publisher
of the Concord Monitor Patriot; Gill
more D. Clarke of Pelham, N. Y,
chairman of the Fine Arts Commits
sion: Benjamin H. Kizer of Spokane,
Wash, and DR.. Hermon c. Bumpus,
chairman of the Advisory Board of
National Parks, Historic Sites, Build
ings and Monuments.
Constructive Attitude Asked.
Addressing the afternoon session Of
the conference, Mr.. Albright contend
ed for an aggressive, constructive,
optimistic movement forward on be-
half of the national parks, as well
as common sense and sanity in ap-
preaching the problem.
Mr.. Cammerer disclosed that he
turned down a $5,00O,O0O offer re-
Gently from wealthy man who
wanted the projected national park
to bear the latter's name. He said that
those interested in national and State
parks should secure the attention of
wealthy persons and induce them to
establish funds for those areas, re-
calling his own experience in urging
John D. Rockefeller to set up a s5,-
000,00 fund with which the Shenan-
doah and Great Smokes Parks are
being established.
Discussing the possibilities in the
Nation for expansion of the National
Park Service idea were the four re-
Gently appointed regional directors
in as many parts of the country.
They were Carl p. Russell of Rich
mond, Va, Region L; Thomas ]. AL
len, jr., of Omaha, Nebr., Region II;
Herbert Maier of Santa Fe, N. Mex,
Region III, and Frank A. Kittredge
of San Francisco, Region w. Each
discussed prospective historical, geo.
logic, biological and scenic areas un-
der consideration for inclusion in the
National Park Service.