National Parks. 



235 



that the Government yet controls, unappropriated and unreserved, 

 over seven hundred million acres of land in twenty-six States, 

 there is no intelligent policy of selecting such areas as should be 

 reserved for the nation's park needs. The use and effect of 

 ordinary means of publicity through a press agent, who has 

 to be carried by the Interior Department as a "supervisor of 

 publications," was shown to have been most favorable upon 

 parks visits. 



Conclusions. — As this Conference was entirely unofficial no 

 formal action could be taken. Certain conclusions were de- 

 veloped, however, without action. The absolute and immediate 

 necessity for the creation of a Federal Park Bureau, to be 

 placed in control of all the parks, monuments, and public 

 grounds belonging to the Federal Government, was conceded. 

 It is in point to note that, at the instance and with the approval 

 of the American Civic Association, Secretary Fisher's pre- 

 decessor, Mr. Ballinger, had offered during the last session of 

 the Sixtieth Congress a carefully drawn bill creating such a 

 ^department. Uniformity and fairness in respect to small park 

 concessions that are now controlled by the Interior Depart- 

 ment are certain to come, even before the creation of a bureau. 

 The advisability of such a rearrangement of bureaus as would 

 bring the Forest Service, now controlling the nation's wood 

 lots, under the Interior Department which holds title to them, 

 was forcibly brought out by Secretary Fisher, with the con- 

 currence of Forester Graves. The important railway officials 

 present promised hearty co-operation in the development of 

 low-rate transportation to the parks. Other conclusions lead 

 to the feeling that Secretary Fisher has done a signal service 

 to the United States in bringing about this Conference. — A^. Y. 

 Outlook, September 30, 191 1. 



Summer Visitors Swarm Into Europe's Playground. 



Visitors to Switzerland are pouring into the resorts in tremen- 

 dous swarms, now that the summer season has really begun. 

 Americans are interested to find similar controversies raging 

 as centered round the utilization of Niagara falls for power 

 works in past years. But here in Switzerland the authorities 

 are more strict than those on either side of Niagara. 



Silvaplana, for instance, has refused a concession to a com- 

 pany that wanted to dam up the local lake for electrical power. 

 Under pressure from the Swiss Scenery Preservation Society 

 also the Government has refused permission for the erection 

 of industrial works on the Lake of Sils. — San Francisco Chronicle, 

 August 13, 191 1. 



