exterminated, those that prey too heavily upon the weaker animals are reduced in number, in an endeavor to retain as nearly as possible the balance of nature. Coyotes are the especial bane of the Yellowstone animals, and it was necessary to destroy 288 during the year. In Mount Rainier both cougar and coyote were apparently less numerous, with the bobcat and lynx about holding their own. The campaign against the wild burros which have been destroying the flora of the Tonto Plateau at the Grand Canyon, begun in 1924, was continued. A marked improvement in the plant life, not only of the Tonto Plateau but in the entire area within the Canyon proper, has benefited greatly by the elimination of over a thousand burros during this time.

FISH-CULTURE WORK

The first step in coordinating fish-culture work in the national parks was taken last summer when, through a cooperative arrangement effected between the Department of Commerce and the Department of the Interior, a fish culturist was detailed by the Bureau of Fisheries to supervise fish-culture operations in the national parks and monuments. Under the plan of cooperation the fish culturist will devote his time during the summer to piscatorial problems in the national parks, and during the winter months will direct fishcultural operations at hatcheries of the Bureau of Fisheries located at points outside the parks. His salary will be borne by the Bureau of Fisheries, but his expenses while engaged in national park work will be paid by the National Park Service.

The work of this expert, so far as it relates to the national parks, consists of general supervision of fish-cultural studies and operations, including detailed studies of park waters to determine suitability for fish, a study of native or related fish species suitable for stocking or restocking, and the preparation of permanent management plans for all park waters. Studies will be made of the life history of native species and the desirability of their propagation and of the abundance or lack of fish food in waters considered for stocking.

The fish culturist spent the greater part of last summer in Yellowstone National Park, where a new fish hatchery station has just been completed. This structure was commenced last summer through the generosity of W. E. Corey, of New York, in donating $15,000 for the work, and the cooperation of the Bureau of Fisheries in meeting his gift with an equal allotment of funds. The hatchery has a capacity of 30,000,000 eggs. An aquarium is being built in connection with it. Plants of fish fry, eyed eggs, and fingerlings amounting to 7,304,900 were made in Yellowstone waters.

Fish propagation in Glacier National Park, which was also visited by the fish culturist, received a new impetus during 1929 with the installation of fish racks and traps on creeks on the west side of the park, from which spawn was taken for the Federal hatchery at Glacier Park Station. Eight rearing ponds were also constructed for use in conjunction with the Glacier Park hatchery, through cooperation furnished park authorities by the Bureau of Fisheries and the Glacier Park Hotel Co. By rearing the fry to fingerling size in these ponds the survival to maturity of a large percentage of the plant is assured. During the year there were more than 2,000,000 fish planted in the waters of this park, and

21,000 fry were furnished to the adjacent Lewis and Clark National Forest for planting.

The Bureau of Fisheries also cooperated in furnishing eggs from Yellowstone National Park for planting in Mount Rainier National Park, and hatchery facilities were furnished by the Pierce County Game Commission.

The California State Fish and Game Commission continued to operate the hatchery in Yosemite Valley. An increase in fish planting is necessary in the streams and lakes of this park to provide adequate sport for the great numbers of visitors. The State commission also furnished fish plants for Sequoia and Lassen Volcanic National Parks.

The Grand Canyon offers an interesting desert oasis for fishing. Bright Angel Creek, on the north side of the canyon, was stocked several years ago, and during the past season fishing there was excellent, trout being found all the way down to the mouth of the stream. As a result the limit of catch was raised from 5 to 10.

The Estes Park hatchery outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, operated by the State of Colorado, is the chief source of supply of fish for the park lakes and streams. This hatchery has been completely rebuilt within the past year and is now one of the most up-to-date in the country.

SANITATION IN THE PARKS

The National Park Service has before it no more serious obligation to the public than that of protecting the health of visitors to the various parks and monuments. In order that the best advice on the subject might be available, the Public Health Service of the Treasury Department several years ago was asked to assist the Park Service in this matter. The whole-hearted response of that bureau in detailing one of its ablest sanitary engineers to devote his entire time to matters of national-park sanitation has resulted in excellent service to the public. An assistant surgeon of the Public Health Service has also been assigned to Yellowstone National Park to assist in safe-guarding the health of employees and visitors.

Sanitary inspections of the various parks were made during the year, with especial reference to the public camp grounds. Designs and plans were drawn up for sanitation development in the Yakima Park section of Mount Rainier National Park and also for the improvement of the sanitary arrangements of the older camps.

The activated sludge plant on the south rim of the Grand Canyon continued to function to a high degree and to attract the attention of sanitary engineers throughout the country. Continuous analyses, both chemical and bacteriological, are made of the treated effluent at this disposal plant, and tests are also made on the raw sewage and on samples taken from tanks during various stages of treatment. The operator in charge of the treating plant also conducts frequent tests on various drinking water supplies. The reclaimed water from this plant is used only for nondomestic purposes. The sewage disposal system on the north rim, constructed by the Union Pacific System in connection with the hotel development, also proved to be highly effective during the year.

THE AIRPLANE PROBLEM

The newest transportation problem in the national parks is presented by the airplane. Up to the present time the National Park Service has not permitted the construction of permanent landing fields within park areas, upon the grounds that airplane transportation was still in its experimental stage, and that until more safeguards were assured the public in this mode of travel the service could not sanction it.

There is no doubt, however, but that the airplane, probably in the near future, will become an accepted means of transportation to various parks, if not within them. Realizing that when this happens it will be necessary to provide facilities for airplane transportation, and make regulations concerning its operations within park boundaries, former Secretary West on February 20, 1928, called a conference of interested parties, at which the entire question was discussed. Attending this meeting, in addition to the department and service officials, were representatives of the various western railroads, park operators, representatives of the aviation interests, and others interested in the subject generally, either from the point of view of aviation or of preservation of the national parks in their natural condition.

No definite decision was reached at the conference, but at its close Secretary West appointed a committee to give further study to the matter. The committee consists of Representative L. C. Cramton, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Director of the National Park Service, with such additions as the committee itself may wish to make.

AIRPLANES AT THE GRAND CANYON

Two years ago sightseeing trips by airplane over the Grand Canyon were inaugurated. Upon the refusal of the National Park Service to permit the construction of a landing field upon park lands, permits were obtained for the location of an airport in the Tusayan National Forest, 18 miles south of park headquarters and entirely outside the park.

This service, somewhat experimental in character, has become very popular with visitors, trips across the canyon being made daily. Late this season, with the installation of Wasp motors in the big trimotored planes, sufficient lifting power was obtained to enable the planes to take off at the high elevation of V. T. Park, on the north rim, and a regular trans-canyon service was instituted.

In order to determine to what extent airplane facilities are of service to the park visitor, an arrangement was made by the National Park Service and the utility operators whereby the airplane company was permitted to maintain an office in connection with the transportation department of the operator, and motorbus service between the park hotel and the airport was established. Judging from the public approval with which this new service has met, its future seems assured. Undoubtedly the question of officially recognizing airplanes at this park, at least, will be given more consideration. Meantime in its dealings with park authorities the airplane company has cooperated in every way possible and displayed a willingness to work in a fair-minded way toward the final solution of the entire problem.

ELEVENTH NATIONAL PARK CONFERENCE

The Eleventh National Park Conference was held in Yellowstone National Park, Wyo., from September 18 to 27, 1929. It was attended by the superintendents of all the major national parks, the general field engineering, landscape, and educational officers, and other field officers. The Washington office was represented by the Director and the Associate Director. Officials of cooperative bureaus and other agencies were also invited to attend. The first four days were spent in studying the operations of Yellowstone Park and visiting the newly-established Grand Teton National Park to the south. The business sessions, which lasted another four days, were held at park headquarters at Mammoth Hot Springs, with two more days devoted to conferring with various officials on their individual problems. Special attention was devoted to road and trail problems, educational activities, landscape protection, fire control, patented land problems, and matters of public contact.

After each of these service conferences I am more and more impressed with the important part they fill in bringing about personal contact between the various field representatives, and between them and officials from both field and Washington headquarters. The cost is more than justified by the results obtained.

APPROPRIATIONS AND REVENUES

The total appropriations to the National Park Service for the fiscal year 1929 were $4,754,015, with additional authority to enter into contractual obligations for road work up to $4,000,000. This includes $17,500 contained in the second deficiency act of 1928, approved May 29, 1928, and $94,315 contained in the second deficiency act of 1929, approved March 4, 1929. Cash donations to the national parks received for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1929, amounted to $16,255.10. These funds were deposited in the United States Treasury and expended under the same fiscal regulations governing expendítures of Federal funds.

Revenues derived from the operation of national parks during the fiscal year 1929 amounted to $849,272.95, an increase of $41,017.14 over the 1928 revenues and an increase of $22,818.78 over the record 1926 revenues. At the end of the 1926 year sharp reductions were made in the fees for automobile licenses that motorists are required to secure in the various parks. With the notable improvements in the park road systems made possible by the $5,000,000 annual authorization for road construction the revenues should continue to increase substantially.

PARK ROAD DEVELOPMENT

With the approval of base plans for the continued development of adequate road and trail systems in the national parks on modern standards calling for an ultimate expenditure of $51,000,000, annual authorization for park road construction was increased by Congress from $2,500,000 to $5,000,000 in the 1929 Interior Department appropriation act. Of the $2,500,000 in cash appropriated by this act, however, $1,500,000 was taken up by contractual authorizations made under the authority of the 1928 act, leaving only $1,000,000 of free cash to apply to the 1928 construction season program. In

addition the 1929 act authorized the Secretary of the Interior to incur obligations and enter into contracts for additional road-construction work not exceeding a total of $4,000,000. Under this cash appropriation and authorization the 1928 construction season program provided for $5,000,000 worth of work. The 1928 construction season from the standpoint of weather conditions was excellent and contractors on major road projects were enabled to earn more cash than was available in the Treasury. As the result of these conditions cash was exhausted prior to the end of the construction season, and all contracts had to be shut down except where contractors were able to continue by financing themselves until the 1930 appropriation became available. This worked considerable hardship on many of the contractors and valuable time was lost in road building.

The 1930 Interior Department appropriation act became law March 4, 1929. Of the $5,000,000 cash appropriated, $4,000,000 was covered by contractual obligations authorized by the 1929 act. Outstanding payments due contractors were made promptly after March 4 and work resumed under going contracts.

In order to avoid a similar deficiency in cash at the end of the 1929 construction season the amount of authorization in the 1930 act was limited to $2,500,000, so that the current construction program was reduced to a basis of $3,500,000, with only $1,000,000 in cash available. A number of projects programmed for the current construction season had to be deferred for advertising and letting until late this season so that contractors would not earn more than available cash.

For 1931 it is expected that the roads and trails appropriation will be continued on the $5,000,000 cash basis with authorizations totaling $2,500,000. As one-half of the 1931 cash will have been obligated by the 1930 appropriation, the forthcoming construction season program will provide $2,500,000 in cash and $2,500,000 in authorization. Experience has proved that due to the high elevation in the parks road projects can not be completed within one construction season but are extended over at least two construction years. At least cash equal to one-half of the total authorization is necessary in order to efficiently carry on the park programs.

Under the stimulus of the enlarged park road program the betterment of park approach roads has gone forward steadily under State and Federal aid.

SERVICE WRONGLY CLASSIFIED

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Of the conservation bureaus of the Federal Government, the National Park Service alone, under decision of the Personnel Classification Board, remains as a major bureau" instead of one of "the largest and most important" bureaus of the department in which it is placed. From the standpoint of appropriations, revenues, service to the public, and constructive work in conservation, the National Park Service is second to no other conservation bureau of the Federal Government. Furthermore, in our own department the National Park Service is the only one of the seven bureaus not classified as one of the most important, although its appropriations exceed those of the majority of the other bureaus, and its volume of work and responsibilities increase tremendously each succeeding

year.