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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION   658
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June 24, 1924.

Honorable C. D. Walcott,
Secretary, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, D. C.

My dear Dr. Walcott:

I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of June 18th and a copy of a communication transmitted therewith, addressed to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, dated June 17, 1924, in which is contained a resolution passed by the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, requesting that estimates of appropriations for the National Zoological Park be transferred from the District of Columbia bill to the Independent Offices bill.

As far as the view of the Commissioners in the premises is concerned, they have no objections to such transfer being made provided that the appropriations for the National Zoological Park are paid entirely from revenues of the United States.  At the present time appropriations for this purpose are paid under the 60-40 arrangement, but beginning with the fiscal year 1925 Congress has abolished the definite percentage proportion basis and substituted a lump-sum contribution from the United States, as the result of which the total appropriations for the fiscal year 1925 for the District of Columbia will be paid approximately 70 per centum by the tax payers of the District of Columbia and 30 per centum by revenues of the United States.  As long as Congress requires the tax payers of the District of Columbia to bear the major part of appropriations for the District, the Commissioners feel that the amount of the annual budget for the District should be regulated by them as the executive municipal authority.

While the appropriations for the National Zoological Park are paid on the present basis and the basis fixed for the fiscal year 1925 the Commissioners would be unwilling to agree to release appropriations for this activity from their consideration and decision as to the amounts which should be allowed.

Very truly yours,

(Signed) Cuno H. Rudolph.

President
Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia.

The Secretary then quoted as follows the Acts establishing the Zoo Park and the Budget Bureau:

AN ACT for the organization, improvement, and maintenance of the the National Zoological Park.

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SEC. 2.  That the National Zoological Park is hereby placed under the direction of the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, who are authorized to transfer to it any living 
specimen, whether of animals or plants, now or hereafter in their charge, to accept gifts for the Park at their discretion, in the name of the United States, to make exchanges
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