Evening star., 1940-01-07
Parks Office Placed
AT Ease by Rogers
As He Studies Job
Temporary Superintendent
Says He's Not Here to
Upset Applicant
By NELSON M. SHEPARD.

Summoned here by Secretary
Ickes as a pinch hitter" in taking
temporary charge of the National
Capital Parks Office, Edmund B.
Rogers, superintendent of Yellow
stone National Park, spent yester-
day getting acquainted with his
first job of directing metropolitan
park system.
He Immediately set the entire
parks Office at ease by announcing:
I'm not here to upset any apple
cart"
Just as soon as a permanent
superintendent for the Washington
park system is provided through
Civil Service channels, probably in
the spring. Mr.. Rogers said he is
returning to his mountain job in
the Yellowstone.
A man acquainted all his life with
the great open spaces of the West.
the new acting superintendent
frankly admitted he has no desire
to take the civil service examina-
ton with a view to switching from
the Yellowstone to Washington
permanently.
I'm National Park man and
have had no experience to qualify
in handling a metropolitan sys-
tenn" he said. Besides, he is too
fond of mountain climbing to for
sake the Rockies for long.
Native of Denver.
Dow, Doouor ho1yix,r
quired mountain legs, Mr.. Rogers
has climbed every 14,000-foot peak
in Colorado, not to mention skiing
all all parts of the West.
"A 1400Q-foot climb is much less
formidable to me than tackling this
new job" he said. I'm just here
for a while to give whatever as
sistance I can to Mr.. Gartside."
Frank.T Gartside, who has been
acting superintendent since August
/ last when c. Marshall Finnan
was transferred to Utah. has re-
sumed his own former duties as as
sistant superintendent. Mr.. Finnan
was made superintendent of Zion
and Bryce Canyon National Parks.
hI t1iC lCluCSp VI SCSlCldly 4ShCCs
who wished the best qualified man
possible for permanent superin-
tendent of the local parks Office, the
Civil Srrvice Commission is expected
soon to announce the date for the
proposed examination. After reg
lister of eligibles is established, the
new superintendent will be ap-
pointed.
Meets Officials.
Secretary Ickes was not in WASH
ington when Mr.. Rogers came here
to take over his temporary duties,
but will return next week from a
trip. Meanwhile, Mr.. Rogers met
officials in the National Park Serv-
ice and others with whom he will
be associated for the ensuing few
months.
Early this week he will make an
inspection of the park system, new
projects and recreational facilities.
Instead of having one big park un-
der his control, he now has 700 small
reservations. That's quite a diff
ferent problem" he said.
A"dlIiIl6 ullIi dloO dIC dppCdI dIlCCo
before the congressional appropri-
alton committees to defend the
budget for National Capital Parks.
He realizes the importance of this
for he remarked that "the budget
is the life blood of the parks" While
here, too, he no doubt will get in
q whack for the Yellowstone.
A tall, lean man of 48 years. with
a modest and friendly manner, Mr.
Rogers hopes to avoid trouble while
here, but he's not the kind to dodge
it if trouble is forced upon him. He
is fairly well acquainted with Wash
ington through visits over the last