lo THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 



the urgent deficiency appropriation act of February 28, 19 16 

 (39 Stat. L., 23) conferred authority upon the Secretary to 

 employ a Greneral Superintendent in the District of Columbia 

 and in the field, the salary of the new officer and other neces- 

 sary expenses of administration to be taken from the appro- 

 priations and revenues of the several parks on a pro rata basis. 

 Under this authority the office of the General Superintendent 

 was moved to Washington. In the sundry civil appropriation 

 act of July I, 19 1 6, (39 Stat. L., 309) authorization was 

 given for the employment of a General Superintendent, to- 

 gether with such clerical or other assistants, not exceeding 

 four persons, as the Secretary might determine. 



In December 1913, a piece of legislation was enacted which, 

 while it directly affected but one park, the Yosemite, was of 

 indirect effect upon the entire system by reason of the pre- 

 cedent which it established. This was the law (Act of Dec- 

 ember 19, 1913; 38 Stat. L., 242) giving to the City of San 

 Francisco the right to use certain lands in the Yosemite Park, 

 specifically the Hetch Hetchy Valley, for the construction of 

 a reservoir to supply the city with water and to generate 

 electric power. 



This legislation was only enacted after a struggle extend- 

 ing over the better part of a decade. It was fought by many 

 civic organizations of standing and was strongly opposed by 

 naturalists of note like John Muir and by many citizens, who 

 believed that that part of the national park idea which called 

 for the preservation of the parks in their original state should 

 be rigidly lived up to. 



The city, on the other hand, claimed that the water to be 

 obtained from the project was essential to the city's life in the 

 years to come, and that it was impracticable to obtain it from 

 any other source. Its point of view finally triumphed. As 

 to whether this triumph was a rightful one ; and as to whether 

 it will be a precedent for commercial raiding of the parks, 

 or an example constituting a warning against that danger arg 

 questions for the future to answer. 



