212 



Sierra Club Bulletin 



words : "We may lose this particular fight, but truth and right must pre- 

 vail at last. Anj^how we must be true to ourselves and the Lord." 



W. E. C. 



National In another portion of the Bulletin we have given a synop- 

 Park sis of the Progress Report made by Hon. Stephen T. Mather, 

 Progress Assistant to the Secretary of the Interior, who has charge of 

 the national parks, and also extracts from the annual report 

 of Mr. Robert B. Marshall, Superintendent of National Parks. These re- 

 ports speak for themselves and indicate that the splendid work inaugu- 

 rated by Mr. Mather has been carried on with increasing results during 

 the past year. The creation of a national park service which places the 

 parks on a firm foundation for the first time in their history, greater effi- 

 ciency in administration, increased appropriations, as well as the broad- 

 gauge way in which all the park problems are being handled, give every 

 evidence of the wise foresight which has been displayed by this new park 

 administration. The development of the parks is in a measure wasted 

 energy unless a proper interest is awakened in the American public, and 

 this can only be done through the medium of appropriate literature and 

 press notices. Mr. Mather has fully recognized this fact, and more ar- 

 ticles and illustrations of the parks have appeared in the newspapers and 

 other publications during the past year than ever before. Already the 

 increase in travel is especially noticeable, taking the Yosemite National 

 Park as an example. The fact that the visitors during the year 1916 

 equaled, and even slightly exceeded, the extraordinary travel of 1915, 

 which could be largely attributed to the Exposition in San Francisco, is 

 most encouraging. Mr. Mather is entirely correct in attributing a large 

 portion of the increase in travel to the fact that the parks are being 

 opened up to motor travel, and he is doubtless justified in assuming that 

 this travel will soon equal and finally far exceed travel from any other 

 source. His endeavor to improve existing roads and build new roads 

 will meet this growing demand. We note, however, with regret the at- 

 tempt on the part of some of the leaders in motor travel to have the pres- 

 ent automobile fee abolished. By advocating this they are defeating their 

 own ends. Those of us who have had experience in the endeavor to se- 

 cure appropriations from Congress for park purposes realize the impos- 

 sibility of obtaining appropriations adequate to meet all the growing 

 needs of these parks. Certain improvements demand considerable ex- 

 penditures, and it is only fair that, for the present at least, the motorists 

 who make use of these expensive highways through the parks should, by 

 paying the comparatively small fee imposed, aid in the building and up- 

 keep of these roads over which they travel and which exist almost ex- 

 clusively for their use. 



We note with profound satisfaction the steps which are being taken to 

 create an adequate force of trained park rangers. These rangers will 

 necessarily have to possess qualifications similar in many respects to the 



