Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-28
The District will never be reimbursed for Q

-
cent of its loss in connection with the
water tunnel 1t appears that the tunnel legis-
btion IN the shape in which it finally passed
contained provision not in the original bill.
which drags the District into sharing financial
responsibility for the work. and cuts out the
ground from under the claim of reimburse
ment With the warming Of the tunnel expert
ence and the hopelessness of escape from the
tunnel exaction in mind. the District will now,
while there is still time. struggle all the more
desperately to avoid similar heavy and useless
burden in connection with a geological park.
And District legislators who sincerely regard
the interests of all their constituents. local as
well a. national. may well take into considera-
ton the fact that a million dollars are being
collected from the local water-takers for which
no consideration whatever is furnished. and re-
frain from imposing upon the helpless capital
legislation promising like results by compelling
heavy annual expenditures. estimated and dis
bursed by men not responsible in any way to
the District. upon zoo for which there is no
present popular need or demand. There was
much more excuse for the tunnel legislation than
there is for that maintaining a zoo. An in
crease of the water supply was needed; the es-
Enlistment of an exhibit of wild animals is not
uccuoi DN WN-uALHloU LHc biOhtiu VI Cohu-
plant in regard to the tunnel is that the work
was planned and carried on without reference
to the Districts financial condition COM
pulsory partner In the affair. and that govern
ment agents. over whom the District had no
control and for whose actions it was not di-
rectly responsible. wasted the Districts money
and bungied and finally spoiled the job. In
like manner the geological expenditures are
l.. Il
ton, which is accustomed to conduct its scien-
tifc operatio ns on Il bread. national scale. and
is not at all likely TO limit its plans concerning
a zoo by economical considerations based on
the poverty Of Uncle Sans unwilling partner
in the venture. Title to the ZOO property
Will be entirely in the nation; the District will
not have a word to say in regard to the esti-
mates or expenditures, or the slightest control
over the government agents in charge. 1t will
be compelled, however, to cut from its street.
improvement fund and hand over annually
one-half of whatever amount somebody else
says ought to be expended upona national zoo,
and that somebody else does not make the other
District estimates and does not necessarily
take either them or the Districts resources
in consideration in determining how many
thousands Of the Districts money shall be an
nually wasted for menagerie purposes The
zoo estimates now under consideration. after
they had been cut down one-half, were sufi-
cient to provide for an appropriation of over
$4,000. One hundred thousand dollars an
nually, with tendency to increase with the
development of the exhibit and the park, will
constitute generous drain upon the current
resources of the District. and the returns will
hardly be larger than those from the million
wasted upon the tunnel We shall have to sub
NIT to the tunnel extortiop. viii not Con-
gress refrain from imposing upon us the zoo?