DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL PARKS. 19 



The automobile license fee collected at the various entrances of 

 Yosemite National Park has been unpopular, and numerous com- 

 munications have been received petitioning that it be abolished. 

 This action, of course, can not be taken. During the season of 

 1916 $19,600 was received from these license fees. This fund con- 

 stitutes a very large part of the total revenues of the park. 



It should be stated in this connection that the revenues of the park 

 were drawn upon heavily during the season to improve and main- 

 tain the general road system for which no congressional appropria- 

 tion was made. When the motorist comes to appreciate the fact 

 that the roads in the park could not have been made accessible for 

 him during the past season without the income derived from the au- 

 tomobile tax, I believe he will no longer be hostile to this tax. 



Dignified gateways should be constructed at the several entrances, 

 particularly at the points where the Wawona, El Portal, and Tioga 

 roads enter the park boundaries. 



MOUNT RAINIEK DEVELOPED. 



In Mount Rainier National Park a comprehensive concession of 

 the same character as that granted the Desmond Park Service 

 Co. in Yosemite National Park was granted the Rainier National 

 Park Co. It grants similar privileges of operating hotels, camps, 

 transportation service, mercantile establishments, garages, etc., and 

 the time for which these privileges may be exercised is a period of 

 20 years. Here, again, the department will share the net profits of 

 the enterprise. Twenty-five per cent will be the Government's share 

 for the first five years, and 50 per cent thereafter. However, there 

 is provision for a change to another basis of compensation in the 

 event that the profit-sharing plan proves unsatisfactory. The alter- 

 native basis has not been definitely stipulated, but will be agreed 

 upon between the department and the company should a revision of 

 the clause governing the compensation later prove advisable. Under 

 the terms of this contract the Rainier National Park Co. has con- 

 structed and operated during the season of 1916 a camp at the 

 mouth of the Nisqually Glacier and late in the season opened an- 

 other camp is Paradise Valley. It has under course of construction 

 a first-class hotel-camp in Paradise Valley which will be opened 

 for accommodation of tourists next season. The company also oper- 

 ates a first-class automobile service between the cities of Tacoma and 

 Seattle and various points in the park. 



As the road system in the park is extended the company will estab- 

 lish new hotels and camps to meet the tourist demand, and will 

 operate automobile service on all new park roads. The service 

 rendered by this company during the 1916 season was eminently 

 satisfactory. 



