36 KErOllT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Smithsonian Institution, 



Washington, April 3, lf<93. 



Sir : In accordauce with the instruction of the Eegents of the Sinith- 

 soiiian Institution, I have the honor to transmit a resohition passed by 

 them on the 29th of March, 1892, together witli the foHowing prelim- 

 inary statement of the considerations on which it is based : 



The National Zoological Park was placed under the Regents of the 

 Smithsonian Institution by the act of April 30, 1890, to l)e administered 

 by them, first " for the advancement of science " and, second, " for the 

 instruction and recreation of i)eople. " 



The necessity of protecting the unexpectedly large crowd of people 

 that have been attracted to the Park and of i)roviding for their access 

 to the animals, as well as for the protection of the latter, has made it 

 necessary to assign to this secondary object a disproportionate share of 

 the approi)riations, and it seems unavoidable that this subordinate 

 feature should thus claim the larger portion of the expenses, as long as 

 the collections are open to the iwblic, as in ordinary zoological gardens. 



The appropriations for the fiscal year 1891-92 were nuule under three 

 heads: Improvements aiul care of grounds, $15,000; buildings, $18,000, 

 and maintenance, $17,500, these amounts being about one-half those 

 that were submitted to Congress as nectessaryto make preliminary pro- 

 vision for the security and accessibility of the collections and to ad- 

 minister their trust Avith safety to the public. 



The Eegents recognized the impossibility of doing this with such 

 means; but, considering that the animals were already in the Park, in 

 view of this public safety, and regarding the act as mandatory upon 

 them, they, with the aid of a balance, economized, in anticipation from 

 the original apj^ropriation made for the organization of the Park, and 

 a deficiency item of $1,000, to meet urgent needs, have endeavored to 

 get through the year until relief could be had from Congress. In doing 

 so they have been obliged to reduce the number of watchmen and em- 

 ployes of the Park in every grade till the iiublic safety threatens to be 

 endangered, while yet a considerable part of these watchmen have been 

 called on to labor continuously through Sundays and holidays ten to 

 twelve hours a day without extra compensation, and have in other re- 

 si)ects felt obliged to carry economy to a degree which would have been 

 unjustifiable, except upon compulsion under such circumstances. 



They would, in their oj^inion, have been unable to administer the 

 Park to the close of the fiscal year, even under these conditions, had 

 they not, in view of the emergency, also given without charge the 

 services of officials and employes paid from the private Smithsonian 

 fund. The total expenditure for maintenance during the current year 

 may, under these conditions, be expected to be $23,000. These facts 

 were represented by them through the Secretary of the Institution in a 

 letter dated January 23, 1892, to the Secretary of the Treasury (a copy 

 of which is a])pended) and by him transmitted to Congress. 



For the year 1892-93 the following estimates were sent to the Treas- 

 ury Department: Improvements, $20,000; buildings, $27,000, and 

 maintenance, $26,000. 



In the sundry civil bill (H. K. 7520) as now reported to the House 

 of Re])resentatives, there is ai)propriated for improvements $9,000, 

 for buildings $10,000, and for maintenance, $10,000; in all $29,000. If 

 the Kegents considered, as they must, $9,000 as inadequate for a year's 

 e\])enditure in laying out the roads and grounds in a new park of 107 

 acres, they yet would not have felt compelled to make this present rej)- 

 reseutation, since such improvements may await the action of a future 



