Editorials. 



205 



EDITORIALS, 



Bureau of The Sixty-second Congress is likely to mark 



National Parks, a new era in the management of our na- 

 tional parks. A bill calHng for the establish- 

 ment of a Bureau of National Parks in the Department of the 

 Interior was introduced in the Senate by Mr, Smoot and has been 

 referred to the Committee on Public Lands, Details regarding 

 this new administrative project will be found in the Notes and 

 Correspondence. It is pleasant to be able to record the fact that 

 the urgent need of such a bureau, already recognized by former 

 Secretary Ballinger, was brought out effectively by the action 

 of Secretary Fisher in calling a National Park Conference last 

 autumn in the Yellowstone National Park. On this occasion the 

 various superintendents of the national parks, Chief Forester 

 Graves, Chief Geographer Marshall, J. Horace McFarland, Presi- 

 dent of the American Civic Association, and various railroad 

 officials were among those in attendance. The great diversity of 

 administration, the lack of a uniform policy of improvement, the 

 inequitable apportionment of funds for maintenance, and the 

 failure to conduct improvements under the advice of expert land- 

 scape engineers, were seen to be strong reasons for establishing a 

 central bureau that shall take charge of all national parks, monu- 

 ments and reservations. The Sierra Club, through its officers, 

 began some time ago to urge the establishment of such a bureau, 

 and hopes for the early adoption of this administrative measure. 



Our New Professor Vernon L. Kellogg of Stanford Uni- 

 DiRECTOR. versity was recently elected a Director of the 

 Sierra Club to fill the vacancy created by the 

 resignation of Professor E. C. Franklin. Professor Kellogg 

 has for many years been active in work connected with the Sierra 

 Club, and his election is in line with the policy of the Club of 

 having at least one representative on the Board, from Stanford 

 University. Professor FrankHn is carrying on advance research 

 in his specialty in the government laboratories in Washington, 

 D. C. We regret his departure from California, which we trust 

 will be only temporary, and wish to extend to him the sincere 

 thanks of the Club for his generous assistance while on the 

 Board of Directors. 



