2l8 



Sierra Club Bulletin 



San Benito County, California, created by presidential proclamation on Jan- 

 uary 1 6, 1908. Its many spiral-like rock formations, from 600 to lOOO feet 

 high, are visible for many miles and give the monument its name. No money 

 was spent on the monument during the year. An unfortunate situation exists 

 here. Recent purchasers of an alienated tract of land within the monument, 

 which is traversed by the sole road, have fenced off access to the monument and 

 are charging a toll for passage over their land. It is not possible to say at this 

 time what the remedy is, but during the next year I hope to investigate the 

 situation fully in order to make the monument accessible without charge to 

 all who care to see it. 



From time to time efforts have been made to save some of the remaining 

 groves of the palms {W ashingtonia filifera) in southern California by incor- 

 porating them within national monument bounds. A drawback has been the 

 widely separate locations of the main stands, but from a botanical standpoint 

 it is hoped that eventually some arrangements can be perfected whereby some 

 of these palms can be placed under Government protection. To this end 

 Representative William Kettner, of California, introduced in Congress, Jan- 

 uary 15, 1920, a bill (H. R. 11733) "making reservation and withdrawing from 

 settlement, occupancy, or sale and dedicating and setting apart as a national 

 monument a certain tract of land in the county of Riverside, Calif." This pro- 

 posed monument includes the famous grove of palms in Palm Springs Cafion, 

 about fifty miles from Riverside. It appears, however, that nearly all of the 

 lands are privately owned or the Indians of the region have acquired vested 

 interest therein, and that, as far as these lands are concerned, it would be nec- 

 essary to obtain the full and free consent of the Indians to the disposition of 

 the lands at a price to be agreed upon. It is to be hoped that some arrange- 

 ments can be made to purchase the Indian lands, as well as the other private 

 lands, possibly by private contribution, for this region, with its groves of palms 

 and other desert flora, is worthy of preservation as a national monument. 



The National Park Service has continued during the year 1920 under the 

 direction of Director Stephen T. Mather, with Mr. Arno B. Cammerer as 

 Assistant Director. On March 8, 1920, Superintendent Horace M. Albright of 

 the Yellowstone National Park was designated field assistant to the director 

 in addition to his other duties. William H. Peters, formerly assistant engineer 

 of the Service, was acting superintendent of Grand Canon National Park from 

 August 2, 1 9 19, to October 13, 1920, when he became superintendent of Mount 

 Rainier National Park, succeeding Mr. Roger W. Toll, who resigned. Mr. D. 

 L. Raeburn, a former superintendent of Mount Rainier, was appointed super- 

 intendent of Grand Cafion National Park in October, 1920. On July 12, 1920, 

 Colonel John R. White was appointed superintendent of Sequoia National 

 Park and acting superintendent of General Grant National Park, filling the 

 vacancy caused by the resignation of Judge Walter Fry, who on July 15th ac- 

 cepted the office of commissioner for these parks under the Department of 

 Justice. Walter W. Payne resigned as superintendent of Glacier National 

 Park, effective June 30, 1920, and was succeeded by George E. Goodwin as 

 acting superintendent in addition to his duties as engineer to the Service. 



