38 REPORT OF TITE SECRETATn'. 



[HiMlsf Kx. llil.-. Nn. 1(12, l<'i|■t,^ 



Trkastry Dkpartmknt, Junuarji 2't, 1S92. 

 Sin: I liave tlio Imnor to transmit liercwith, fov tlic ronsidcratioii of Congress, a 

 coniijuinicatiou Irom the Secretary ol'tlie Sniitlisonian Institution otthe 23(1 instant, 

 in relation to the estimates on page 281 of the JSook of Estimates, for the fiscal year 

 1803, submitted for the improvement, maintenance, etc., of the Natiom-.l Zoijlooical 

 Park, District of Columbia, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893. 

 Respectfully, yours, 



O. L. Spattlding, 



Activr/ Secreffirij. 

 The Si'KAKKi: oi-^ thk Housf, of Rkpkfsentatives. 



Smithsoxiax Ixstitutiox, 

 Wd.ihuti/ioti, J). ('., JcDi liar 11 :.'■'), 1S92. 



Sir : I beg leave to invite your attention to the estimates under the Smithsonian 

 Institution for the fiscal year ending .lune 30, 1893, duly submitted to you October 

 7, 1891, and to the modified form in ^vhich these estimates were transmitted to Con- 

 gress, whereby it would seem to be recommended that no increase Tie made over the 

 amounts a])propriated for the current year. 



Whilu feeling that all the amounts asked for by the Institution have lieen only 

 such as are adequate with tlu' strictest economy, I have to ask your special atten- 

 tion to the three items for the National Zo(>logical Park, /. c, improA^ements, build- 

 ings, and maintenance. Disasters from Hoods and like contingencies, for which no 

 ])rovision was made by Congress in the appropriations t(n' the present year, enqdui- 

 size the necessity of securing the full amount estimated uiuler the headings Improve- 

 ments and Buildings, while there exists exceptional necessity in the item for 

 maintenance, which is essentially for the food and care of living animals. 



The appropriations made by the act of March 3, 1891, for "maintenance" during 

 the present tiscal year (f(u- which $35,000 Avas asked), was $17,500, but the sum of 

 $5,122.71 from the appropriation of April 30, 1890, was available and has be<Mi used 

 for this pnri)osc; and even with this addition it has been necessary to ask for a defi- 

 ciency appropriation of $4,434, chieliy to cover expenditures which were found to be 

 absolutely necessary to prevent loss to the (lovernmeut. 



The minimum expenditures for the present year under this item will therefore be 

 $22,622.71; the expenses for the first six numths being $14,269.73, or at the rate of 

 $28,539.46 i>er annum. I trust, therefore, that it is made sufficiently dear that with 

 an a])]tropriation of$l7,500 it Avill beimpossible to properly care for and feed the an- 

 imals now on hand. 



Th<^ past expenditures would have been still larger but that the work on the ac- 

 counts for the Ti'easnry has in part been done gratuitously by the Institution, which 

 has also snit])li(^(l free of cost office rooms, as well as the aid and supervision of un- 

 paid naturalists. This can not be reckoned upon for the future, lint has been sanc- 

 tioned by the Regents as a means to meet the exigency until the need of a larger ap- 

 propriation can be represented to Congress, and in the meantime the working force 

 has been reduced to an extreme degree, the iiolicing, for instance, being now done by 

 one watchman, aided by two employes who are largely engaged with other duties; 

 and these three men are reijuired to maintain order over au area of 167 acres, visited, 

 during each day^ by thousands of peo]>le. These details are mentioned in connection 

 with the fact that (unless some small juirchases of animals made at the outset lie 

 excepted) it is under like stringencies of economy in every branck of the adminis- 

 tration, that the exjienses have already amounted, as shown above, to more than 

 $14,000 in six months. 



I can not too emphatically represent the peculiar difficulties that mrist arise in 

 administering an insufficient approi>riation I'or the care of living wild animals, un- 

 able to care for themselves where they are, if no provision has been made by Con- 

 gress for disposing of them elsewhere. 



In view of increased expenses since the estimates were prepared, due directly to 

 the unexpectedly great popular interest manifested in the park, and to the extraor- 

 dinary increase of visitors, I now feel compelhMl eitlu'r to increase the estimate for 

 maintenance to $30,000, to cover further contingencies, or to ask that the total ap- 

 propriation requeste<l for the jiark be made in such form as to allow a certain discre- 

 tionary power to meet them. If, under the circumstances stated, the latter would, 

 in your judgment, be the more advisable course, I would resjjectfully ask that yon 

 recommend to Congress that the three items of improvements ($20,000), building 

 ($27,000), and maintenance ($26,000) be appropriated in one sum of $73,000, as fol- 

 lows: 



"National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution: Continiiingtlie construction 

 of roads, walks, bridges, water supply, sewerage, and drainage, and for grading, 

 planting, and otherwise improving the grounds, eregting and repairing buildings 



