62 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



and resorts to fit the future needs of the United States of 

 America would be in Hne with the policy under which our first 

 president planned, in 1803, the federal city which now bears his 

 name, without which planning no such civic convenience, beauty, 

 impressiveness, and national dignity as the city of Washington 

 now enjoys would have been possible. 



The volume and importance of the work of the supervision of 

 the national parks and resorts under the Secretary of the Inte- 

 rior has passed beyond the stage of satisfactory control by oper- 

 ations carried on with the small force available in the secretary's 

 office. 



Additional road construction is greatly needed in the Yosemite, 

 Sequoia, and General Grant national parks, in California ; Mount 

 Rainier National Park, in Washington; Crater Lake National 

 Park, in Oregon; and the Mesa Verde National Park, in Colo- 

 rado. A carefully planned sewer system is necessary in the 

 Yosemite National Park, as well as increased water and electric 

 power facilities. 



During the past year a uniform method of accounting relating 

 to concessionaires in all of the parks has been established and a 

 material increase made in the receipts for the privileges enjoyed 

 by them. It is worthy of comment that the receipts for 191 0, in 

 round numbers, were $51,000, as against $22,000 in 1909. 



In all of the parks, except the Yellowstone, great difficulty of 

 administration is encountered from the fact that the department 

 has no jurisdiction to punish offenses in violation of its regula- 

 tions, and I therefore recommend that jurisdiction be given to 

 the department over all offenses, with a provision of suitable 

 penalties for the violation of the regulations of the department, 

 for the protection of game, and to prevent destruction or injury 

 to government property. 



In the Mount Rainier, Crater Lake, General Grant, and Wind 

 Cave national parks automobiles have been allowed entrance 

 under license and strict regulations pertaining to travel upon 

 the roads. It is believed that in a measure this privilege may be 

 extended to some of the other national parks without jeopardy 

 to the traveling public. 



In some of the national parks mining locations are permitted, 

 but the tendency is to abuse the privilege in order to secure 

 rights which will ultimately have to be bought out by the Gov- 

 ernment. The department is now exercising the strictest vigi- 

 lance to prevent speculative locations from ripening into patent 

 or a vested right. 



I believe that in the administration of our national parks it 

 may be feasible to use for guides, and possibly for guards in a 



