Evening star., 1939-06-20

Va NOAuIIlU46 dIlu GIlc BCucTAl 1unOS
Of the Treasury In the same propor-
ton as other expenses of the District
Of Columbia"
New Terms Impose Greater Burden.
But when the park development
law public No. 284, Seventy first
Congress) Of 1890 was enacted, and
a total sum of $16 ,000, 900 authorized
to be advanced for use within the
District. repayments were demanded
from the District at the rate of q
million dollars a year, and between
1924 and 1890 the proportion of the
Federal lump-sum payment had
shrunk from approximately 40 per
cent to approximately 20 per cent Gn
the current fiscal year it is about 10
per cent? and the participation in
this semi-national undertaking was
thereby reduced by more than half,
throwing a much greater proportion
of the cost on local taxpayers.
Thus far about $6 900 900 has been
spent on this semi-national park
development program, which means
that the District still faces the pos
sibility of $4,000, 900 of future re-
Endorsements, with the money COM
ing largely from local taxation as
fiscal relations now stand.
Rock Creek Potomac Parkway
This addition to the national park
system of the Capital was proposed
by the Park Commission of 1901.
Prior to that time Congress had di-
rected the chief of engineers to re-
port on suitable connection be-
tween the National Geological Park
and Potomac Park, and his report
was made in 1900. The Park Com
mission adopted one of two proposed
plans OF treatment, but it was not
until 1918 that Congress took action
by creating commission to acquire
the land, all of which was in private
ownership. The act authorized ex-
penditure of 81 300, 900 for acquisi-
ton OF the land, and from the fiscal
year 1917 through the fiscal year
1925 appropriations for purchases
were made, ranging in amount from
$4,000 to $250,OOO annually. The
money was divided, first on the
basis of $3.50 and later 6O-4O. be-
tween the United States and the
District. The authorized appropria-
tion Of 81 800 900 was exhausted in
the fiscal year 1926. In the calendar
year 1926 the House passed bill
appropriating 100000 of District
surplus revenues for additional park
way land purchase. The Senate
amended the bill to provide for shar-
ing the 100000 cost on a 60-40
basis between the United States and
the District, on the ground that the
undertaking had been thus far car
ried out as joint enterprise. The
conferees on the bill were unable to
agree, and fearing indefinite delay
should the bill fail in conference, the
Senate conferees finally yielded. A
large part of the cost of the land
acquisition, originally planned as a
Joint enterprise between the District
and the National Government, was
thus placed on local taxpayers.
National Geological Park-This
scientific enterprise was begun as a
branch of the Smithsonian Institu-
ton, and expenses were shared un-
der the $3.50, and later 60-40. divi-
sion OF expenses between the Ma
tional Government and the District.
1t is now maintained wholly, in up
keep and development tsuch as new
buildings. out of revenues OF the
District, to which the Federal pay
ment has decreased from 40 to about
IL per cent.
fTomOrrO,D's article nil discuss
additional sources OF the Federal
ObliQdtiOn.