Evening star., 1940-04-28
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star
1.-THE Geological Park bill only needs
the signature of the President to be-

The geological Park bill only needs
the signature of the President to be-
come law" says The
Debote on Zoo Star of April %, 1890.
Park Bill Senator Morrill, yester-
day afternoon reported
that the conference committee had failed
to reconcile the disagreeing votes of the
two houses. The House insisted that the
District be compelled to pay one-half of
the sum necessary for the maintenance
of the park and no amount Of oratorical
eloquence or common sense argument
could change the situation. Senator Nor
rill and Senator Schooner both declared
that the bill could never pass unless the
Senate recede from it's decision. Previous
to that action there was a little spicy de-
bate.
Senator ingalls, said it was an obvious
and fragrant and glaring injustice to
one-half Of the expenses involved in the
undertaking. They might just as well be
called upon to bear one-half the expense
of the National Museum, of the Smith
sonian Institution or any other of the
national exhibitions and museums here.
The bill was read and then Senator In
gals said:
Mr.. President, the government of this
District is an absolute despotism, but I
do not think that ever knew of an illus
tration Of more perfect tyranny than is
evinced by that provision in this bill.
The people of the District of Columbia
have absolutely nothing whatever to do
with that park or its maintenance or its
management. 1t is to be under the con-
troll of the regents of the Smithsonian
Institution. The people Of the District
have no representation on that board, no
connection with its management, no dis
position whatever of the finances which
are to be appropriated and disbursed.
The Senator from Vermont speaks about
the precedent already established. If
there has been one established-which
do not know-it is a most pernicious
precedent and If we allow this one to be
established there will be no escape from
it hereafter. They can then plead that
the money for the original investment
having been shared with the District, and
the money for the first annual appro-
priation having been shared with the
District, 1t has crystallized and passed
into the form of law and cannot be
changed. How far this expenditure will
extend nobody can tell. It may go into
the millions. 1t will 60 into the millions.
It is to be great national institution and
protest in the name of the people here
against imposing upon them this invid-
ious and unjust and unnecessary burden
in addition to what they already endure
Senator Cockrell said that the people
of the District wanted the park: sought
for it. They ought to be willing to pay
one-half its cost. This park said the
Missourian, is for the convenience Of
the people of the District of Columbia
nine hundred and ninety times more
than for the people Of the United States.
Not one in ten thousand, not one in a
hundred thousand of the great mass Of
the taxpayers of the United States will
ever see this park and it is for the beau
tifying Of the City of Washington, for
the increase of the value of property here
and for the benefit of the citizens who
will frequent it.
Senator Butler had the floor in an
instant and retorted: so would the pub
lie buildings in st. Louis be for the entire
benefit Of the people Of st. Louis and no
other portion of this American Union,
and yet suppose they would think 1t
great hardship If st. Louis should be
called upon to pay half the expense of
the courthouse and post Office building
there. do not understand that the Dis
trict of Columbia has anything to do
with the public park more than that 1t is
within the limits of the District of CO.
lumbia. It is a Government institution
which all the people have the right to
get the benefit Of not alone the people
of the District, and 1t would seem to me
to be very great hardship to require
the District of Columbia to pay one-half
of the expense Of the park which Is in
tended solely as national affair."
Senators Collum, Gibson and McPher-
son all protested against the saddling OF
this expense on the District, but the two
former said they would concur in the
House amendment because 1t was the
best that could be done. Senator Nc
Pherson would have voted nay but he
was paired. The nays were Senators Al