National Parks—Nearly
It would be pleasant if those so disposed could spend part of their Christmas leisure in visiting a National Park. But no National Parks as yet actually exist: Dr. Dalton, in his foreword to the National Parks Commission's first annual report (it covers this time only nine months), mentions that he had hoped that the designation of the first three parks—the Peak District, the Lake District and Snowdonia—would have taken place before the end of 1950, but complex negotiations have been necessary, and the first park will not be designated till 1951. But the Commission has not been idle, and many of its protests against measures detrimental to the future National Parks areas hive been successful. Overhead electric cables provide a special problem, since underground cables are so expensive that many would-be consumers of electricity would be deprived of it altogether if the overhead cables were prohibited. Here each case must be considered on its merits, and the dis- crepancy between utility and aesthetics dealt, with as best it may. The. National Parks- movement has progressed more slowly than had been expected, but the National Parks principle is fully, established, and so, it may be hoped, has a subsidiary principle, that when there is a clash of interests between the parks and encroach- ments by some public body the mitts of justification of aggression-
, - is on the latter. -
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