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Show 60 Most often, Utah reporters a llowed their sources to champion the park, not simply act as advocates for it. Sources were granted considerable space for their predictions of Zion's success and their exhortation for public support. If there were opposing viewpoints, they were not heard. Describing the visit of Stephen T. Mather, d irector of the National Park Service, The Salt Lake Tribune observed: "Utahns arc urged to get together on a publicity campaign to present Zion canyon [sic] in a favorable light." 154 A prediction of tourist volume in a Deseret Evening News article was unclear whether Mather or the journalist was making the calculation: "With adequate hotel accommodations and good roads, 100,000 will visit Utah and Zion national park [sic] next ycar." 155 Utah papers had reported on the potential that Zion could become a national park only after the bill had made it through the House and Senate and was in front of the conference committee. 156 The sole news of a political debate - if it could be called that surfaced in a letter from Robert Sterling Yard, secretary of the National Parks Association, to Governor Bambcrger. 157 The lener, reported in The Salt lake Tribune, urged the state to capitalize on the elevated status of the soon-to-be Zion National 1J 4 Saft lake Trib11ne, ··U.S. Park Experts to View Zion Canyon,"Novcmbcr 16, 1919, 11. 1H Deseret 156 Eveninx News, '"Zion National Park ls Big Asset to Statc,"Novembcr 25, 1919. sec. 2, 8. Deserct Evening News, '"Zion Canyon May Become National Park," August 22, 1919, 2; Salt lake Trib11ne, "'Zion Canyon May Be National Park,"October24, 1919, 20. m The National Parks Association (known now as the National Parks and Conservation Association) was founded to promote national park development and education about the scientific resources in 1he parks. For a complete history on the association, see John C. Miles, Guardians ofthe Parks: A History ofthe National Parks and Conservation Association (Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis, 1995). |
