Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-06-07
Financing the Zoo

InlS is an appropriate time Tor
Congress to consider anew the illogical
system under which the District is
charged with the cost of improving and
operating the National Geological Park
The recent tragedy at the Zoo has
brought demands for new buildings, ia
cilities and staff to make the Zoo safer
and more attractive for the millions of
persons, largely children, who visit 1t
every year. The improvements should
be made-but in view of the national
character of the Zoo, which is branch
Of the Smithsonian Institution, it is
grossly unfair to require local taxpayers
to foot the bill
An organization calling itself the
Friends of the National Zoo has made
a persuasive plea for more funds before
the House District Appropriations Sub
committee. The money is needed for
numerous improvements, the urgency of
which was described in a Star article
last Sunday by Jerry OLeary, jr. How
ever, as the Friends of the National Zoo
testified, no Zoo buildings were included
in the District public works program
recently approved by Congress. Fur
thermore, because of the Districts
financial plight, the Zoos pending
budget request has been trimmed below
what Zoo officials and others consider
to be the safety point.
The Friends of the National Zoo,
headed by an attorney, Max Kampel-
man, is correct in regarding the Zoo as
q national institution" The organi-
cation pointed out to the subcommittee
that million men, women and chill
dren from every State In the Union"
visit the Zoo each year. 1t Is no more
q District institution than the Smith
sonian Institution itself or any Of its
other branches, such as the National
Museum or the proposed National Air
Museum. Congress first made the mis-
take of putting the Zoo in the District
budget more than sixty years ago and
the error has been perpetuated through
the years, despite recurrent protests. At
the time of the original action the Fed
eral Government was sharing District
expenses on a $3.50 basis, but the Fed
eral share has dwindled drastically in
recent years.
The District Commissioners prop
erly objected even to the $3.50 arrange
rnent on the ground that the Zoo had
mo relation to the municipal admins
tFation of the District" And Senator
ingalls, of Kansas, in, opposing the
House plan for making the District
share in the cost Of building and main
tanning the Zoo, told the Senate in 1890:
g. do not think that ever knew
an illustration of more perfect tyranny
than Is evinced D.. . in this bill. The
people of the District of Columbia have
absolutely nothing whatever to do with
that park or its maintenance or its man
agement. 1t is to be under the control
of the regents of the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition. The people Of the District have
no representation on that board, no con-
nection with its management, no dispo-
Sition whatever of the finances which
are to be appropriated and diSburSed.
.. 1t is to be great national inStitu-
ton and l protest in the name of the
people here against imposing upon them
this invidiouS and unjust and unneces-
sary burden in addition to what they
already endure" What Senator ingalls,
said is just as true, or even more so,
today than in 1890.