1360 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 
response to what the Senator from Ohio said. I do not undertake to 
decide now for myself what ought to be done about the expenditure 
made necessary by the creation of this Zoological Park, but I want to 
say that I do not think it is inconsistent with the public use of it that part 
of the expense should be paid for by the District of Columbia. The 
United States is dealing to-day very handsomely and very generously 
by the people of this District. Upon the theory that the Government 
owned one-half of the property, or some other theory which satisfied 
the consciences of those who voted for it, Congress some years ago 
agreed to saddle one-half the burden of carrying on the government 
of this District upon the people of the United States, and I was some- 
what amazed when I found members of this body justifying them- 
_ selves in that apportionment of expense upon the theory that the 
Government owned half of the property in the District, when nearly 
all that property which it does own consisted of the streets, of which 
the Government is the owner, it is true, but without any use; that is 
to say, it is a trustee without use. 
- In the State in which I live the counties severally own one-half the 
title to all the streets of all the towns within their respective limits; 
and yet in that State, filled with inventive people, I never heard any- 
one suggest that because the county was the trustee for all the public 
in respect of the streets it should pay any part of the taxes on account 
thereof. The city of Topeka, the capital of that State, does not exact 
or claim anything from the State in respect of payment ot public 
money because the capital happens to be located there. On the con- 
trary, they are glad it is there, and only wish there was more of it. 
Now, the General Government not only pays one-half the expenses 
of this District, including the cost of the improvement of streets, 
which in other cities is levied upon the abutting property, but it takes 
care of every reservation, of all these squares which are so many parks 
for the benefit of these people. They are an especial tax upon the 
people of the United States, of which no portion is paid by the people 
of the District, except as they pay it ratably as the remainder of the 
people of the United States do. In other words, the Government 
pays half the taxes and then it takes care, out of its own Treasury, of 
all the parks of the city, every one of them. It polices the White - 
House grounds; it polices all these different parks and employs an 
army officer to look after them and beautify them and adorn them 
and to see that they are put in the best possible shape for the delecta- 
tion and use of the inhabitants of the District as well as everybody 
else. 
It seems to me this Zoological Park might be carried on in the same 
way. I do not understand that because the Government pays for 
these parks, thereby the people of the District of Columbia are not 
to use them, or that because the District pays for them the people of 
ie Aisi 
