PARK AND CEMETERY. 
11 
.'6 per cent on money invested in the en- 
rterprise, depreciation of equipment, build- 
ings, etc., and expenses of operation such 
as salaries, advertising and insurance. It 
i-s provided, however, that, if this profit- 
sharing clause operates to the disadvantage 
of the department, it may elect at the end 
of two years to take 4 per cent of the 
■gross income of the company instead of 
a share of the net profits. 
Congress made a more liberal appropri- 
ation for Yosemite National Park for the 
'fiscal year ending June 30, 1917, than for 
any previous period. This appropriation 
made available $250,000 for protection and 
improvement of the park. It was provided, 
however, that not more than $150,000 
might be expended in the construction of 
a new hydro-electric power plant, and not 
more than $75,000 in regrading the El Por- 
tal road. There was nothing specifically 
appropriated for other roads in the park, 
but they were improved with revenue de- 
rived from concessions granted, automo- 
bile license fees, and from miscellaneous 
sources. 
Travel to Yosemite Park was very heavy 
this season. It approximately equaled that 
■of last season. The records indicate that 
33,390 visitors registered at the park check- 
ing station prior to October 12. Of those, 
14,166 came in private machines. The av- 
erage stay of tourists in the park was 
longer than the average period spent in the 
park in previous years. 
The increase in motor travel was re- 
markable, and a comparison of the num- 
ber of machines entering the park this sea- 
son with the number registered during 
1914 and 1915 constitutes the best index 
■of the sound, substantial growth of the 
park’s popularity that I can mention. The 
records indicate that in 1914, 673 cars en- 
tered the park; in 1915, 3,895; and in 1916, 
|)rior to October 12, 3,938. This season, 
14,166 tourists entered the park in private 
machines. It is generally understood that 
automobile parties remain in the park a 
longer time than any other class of tour- 
ists. This is particularly true of those 
who visited the floor of the valley in their 
■cars. 
In Mount Rainier National Park a com- 
prehensive concession of the same char- 
acter as that granted the Desmond Park 
Service Company in Yosemite National 
Park was granted the Rainier National 
Park Company. I-t grants similar priv- 
ileges of operating hotels, camps, trans- 
portation service, mercantile establishments, 
garages, etc., and the time for which these 
privileges may he exercised is a period of 
20 years. Here, again, the department will 
share the net profits of the enterprise. 
Twenty-five per cent will be the Govern- 
ment’s share for the first five years, and 
50 per cent thereafter. However, there is 
provision for a change to another basis of 
compensation in the event that the profit- 
sharing plan proves unsatisfactory. The 
alternative basis has not been definitely 
stipulated, but will be agreed upon between 
the department and the company should a 
revision of the clause governing the com- 
pensation later prove advisable. Under the 
terms of tliis contract, the Rainier Nation- 
al Park Company has constructed and oper- 
ated, during the season of 1916, a camp 
at the mouth of the Nisqually Glacier, and, 
late in the season, opened another camp in 
Paradise Valley. It has under course of 
construction a first-class hotel-camp in Par- 
adise Valley which will be opened for ac- 
commodation of tourists next season. The 
company also operates a first-class automo- 
bile service between the cities of Tacoma 
and Seattle and various points in the park. 
As the road system in the park is ex- 
tended, the company will establish new 
hotels and camps to meet the tourist de- 
mand, and will operate automobile serv- 
ice on all new park roads. The service 
rendered by this company, during the 1916 
season, was eminently satisfactory. 
Hotel accommodations in Crater Lake 
National Park have never been satisfac- 
tory, and this year there was no improve- 
ment in them over former years. The de- 
velopment of accommodations and trans- 
portation service in this park must be un- 
dertaken on the same broad scale that the 
new concessions in Yosemite and Mount 
Rainier are now being handled. When 
such accommodations and facilities are pro- 
vided for the comfort and convenience of 
visitors, the Southern Pacific Railroad 
Company can be expected to operate high- 
class train service to Kirk, on the east 
side of the park, thus making it possible 
for the tourist to enter the park bv the 
west entrance and leave through Kirk in 
the Klamath direction, or the reverse. I 
hope to completely reorganize the Crater 
Lake concession within a few weeks and 
make conditions definitely attractive for 
1917 travel. 
The War Department, under a $50,000 
appropriation, has continued the construc- 
tion of a scenic highway around the lake 
under the direction of army engineers. 
The appropriations, however, for the admin- 
istration of the park have been very small, 
and there is no authority for using rev- 
enues of the park for its administration 
and protection. It has therefore been im- 
possible to build a very necessary water 
system, a small electric plant, and make 
other improvements of this character. The 
lack of water at the Crater Lake Lodge 
on the rim caused considerable inconveni- 
ence during the summer. 
In Sequoia National Park the lack of 
roads and hotel accommodations, while not 
discouraging tourist travel particularly, has 
militated against the park’s popularity. A 
new hotel or camp is a necessity and it is 
essential that a new administrative build- 
ing be erected and an adequate water sys- 
tem be installed in the Giant Forest ; also 
that provision be made for the sanitation 
of the village in the Forest. 
As the Giant Forest is the scenic attrac- 
tion of the park at the present time, and 
indeed the only accessible part, its im- 
provement must have attention. The ma- 
jor portion of the trees in the Giant Forest 
grow on land held in private ownership 
but, as I have stated, Congress has appro- 
priated $50,000 and the National Geographic 
Society has advanced $20,000 to complete 
their purchase and revest title to them in 
the Phiited States. 
Funds were also appropriated by Con: 
gress for a new bridge over the Alarble 
Fork of the Kaweah River near the Giant 
Forest. 
The new basis of compensation for priv- 
ileges granted to the Mount Whitney 
Power & Electric Company in the park 
has netted the revenue fund more than 
$7,000 during the past year. This fund is 
now just large enough to protect and ad- 
minister the park. Appropriations for im- 
provements only will be requested. 
Senate bill 5913, introduced by Senator 
Phelan, of California, and House bill 13168, 
by Representative Kent, of the same state, 
providing for enlarging Sequoia National 
Park to include the Kings and Kern Can- 
yons and several miles of the crest of the 
Sierra Nevada, including Mount Whitney, 
are now pending in Congress. The 
early enactment of this legislation can- 
not be too strongly urged. 
The public land proposed to be added 
to Sequoia National Park by these meas- 
ures will never be valuable for any other 
than park purposes. Cattle are grazed on 
the mountain meadows during part of the 
year, but the administration of these mead- 
ows as part of the park will not Interfere 
with the exercise of grazing privileges for 
many years to come. Small tracts of land 
here and there will be fenced for pasturage 
of live stock used by tourists. 
Sequoia Park now has the giant sequoia 
trees as its one attraction, but if enlarged 
as proposed it will become a scenic park 
of as much distinction as that possessed 
by any other park in the system. Further- 
more, it will become a game sanctuary of 
as much importance as the Yellowstone 
National Park. 
General Grant National Park had a 50 
per cent increase in the number of visitors 
this year. There has been a remarkable 
increase in travel to this park since 1914. 
In that season, 3.735 visitors registered in 
the park. Last year the number jumped 
to 10,523, and this year to 15,360; 8,612 
people entered this year in automobiles. 
The fees from automobiles so increased 
the revenues of this park that it may now 
be administered without appropriations by 
Congress. However, a federal appropria- 
tion will be needed for an adequate water 
system, for a new ranger station and for 
other improvements that are absolutely es- 
sential to its proper development. 
Rocky Mountain National Park .\y^s vis- 
ited this year by more people than any 
