1452 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. | 
Mr. Rocers. If my friend will pardon me for a moment I will say 
that my remarks were not addressed to the Smithsonian Institution. 
I was speaking of the management of the park alone. 
_Mr. WHEELER, of Alabama. Well, with regard to the management 
of the park by the Smithsonian Institution. I admit that the gentle- 
man’s remarks were confined to that particular work, but I wish to 
call the attention of the House to the fact that every criticism made 
by gentlemen on this floor with regard to the management of the park 
commission and zoological gardens has been confined to the method of . 
expenditures, and no criticism has been made as to the character of 
the expenditures. 
My friend insists, or at least suggests, that they ought to have a 
man like Buffalo Bill, or a man like Mr. Barnum, to take control of 
the park. Now, it is impossible to find one man that has all possible 
experiences and the qualifications which arise from experience in all 
vocations, and therefore they placed the zoological gardens under the 
Secretary of the Smithsonian, Professor Langley, and he employs 
men who have all the qualifications of Buffalo Bill or of Mr. Barnum. . 
Men are employed there who have spent their lives in the manage- 
ment of animals, men who have been to Africa and spent part of their 
lives there among animals, and who are well informed regarding the 
kind of animals that will live here, and the mode of life that is adapted 
to their preservation and propagation. . 
Now, it might be desirable to have an engineer officer detailed to 
assist in the making of the surveys of the ground, etc., but as far as I 
can learn there is a most general commendation of the methods pur- 
sued by this professor, Mr. Langley, and a general commendation of 
his management, and certainly commendation regarding the economy 
of his expenditures. I have never heard a suggestion that the expen- 
diture of a single dollar has been injudicious. On the contrary, the 
general expression is that all his expenditures have been judicious in 
all respects. 
Mr. OutHwarre. Will the gentleman state whether he has given 
personal supervision to these items of expenditure ? 
Mr. WHEELER, of Alabama. I have read them over and examined 
them, and I believe they are judicious and economical. , 
Mr. OurHwairE. What I wished to ask the gentleman was whether 
he has given personal attention to the expenditures? 
Mr. WHEELER, of Alabama. I have not given any personal super- 
vision to the work at the park. I do not go there to examine the 
progress that is made. I could not doit. It is not expected that I 
should. We all of us have enough business here to attend to. All 
our time is fully occupied in our Congressional duties. 
Mr. OutHwarter. Does the superintendent do so? 
Mr. WHEELER, of Alabama. Yes, sir; I believe he does. I think 
