32 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



something similar to your Yellowstone, though not on so ex- 

 tensive a scale; the people of New South Wales have set off 

 three beautiful national parks within thirty or forty miles of 

 the capital city of Sydney, taking regions of exquisite beauty 

 and keeping them for a source of delight to the growing popu- 

 lation of that city. Therefore your example is bearing great 

 fruit. I only wish it had come sooner to us in England and 

 Scotland before we had lost so much control of our own 

 natural beauties. . . . 



And let me try to give some logical quality to my statements 

 by submitting some few propositions in order. 



The world seems likely to last a long, long time, and we 

 ought to make provisions for the future. 



The population of the world goes on constantly increasing, 

 and nowhere increasing so fast as in North America. 



A taste for natural beauty is increasing, and, as we hope, 

 will go on increasing. 



The places of scenic beauty do not increase, but, on the con- 

 trary, are in danger of being reduced in number and diminished 

 in quantity, and the danger is always increasing with the accu- 

 mulation of wealth, owing to the desire of private persons to 

 appropriate these places. There is no better service we can 

 render to the masses of the people than to set about and pre- 

 serve for them wide spaces of fine scenery for their delight. 



From these propositions I draw the conclusion that it is 

 necessary to save what we have got, and to extend the policy 

 which you have wisely adopted, by acquiring and preserving 

 still further areas for the perpetual enjoyment of the people. 



Let us think of the future. We are trustees of the future. 

 We are not here for ourselves alone. All these gifts were not 

 given to us to be used by one generation, or with the thought 

 of one generation only before our minds. We are the heirs of 

 those who have gone before, and charged with the duty we owe 

 to those who come after, and there is no duty which seems 

 clearer or higher than that of handing on to them undiminished 

 facilities for the enjoyment of some of the best gifts that the 

 Creator has seen fit to bestow upon his children. 



