16 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1919. 



In the west end of the basement of the Smithsonian Building new 

 cement jfloors were laid in rooms 14, 15, and 18, which completes the 

 substitution of fireproof floors throughout the western portion of 

 that building. Repairs to the roofs consisted chiefly in the refasten- 

 ing of the flashing on gutters, painting the roofs, and repairs to flag- 

 pole and replacing broken glass in the windows of the exhibition 

 halls and offices. 



The building erected in the east court of the Natural History Build- 

 ing by the Bureau of War Risk Insurance and turned over to the 

 Museum at the expiration of their occupancy of the building, part of 

 which is intended for use as a taxidermist shop, was improved by 

 the installation of a galvanized iron gable skylight on roof and the 

 replacing of ground glass in the west section with clear glass. 



As the building for the Freer collections approached completion it 

 became necessary to remove the old two-story brick workshop, con- 

 structed in 1875 for housing the preparators and the photographer 

 of the Museum during the preparations for the Philadelphia Cen- 

 tennial Exhibition. This structure has for some years now been used 

 as a taxidermist shop, garage, and machine shop. The building 

 was condemned and after advertisement was sold for the sum of $252, 

 the purchaser being required to remove all of the material within 

 30 days. Provision for the taxidermist shop was made in the east 

 court of the Natural History Building and for the garage and ma- 

 chine shop of the Astrophysical Observatory in the shed at the rear 

 of the Smithsonian Building. 



The power plant was closed down from July 1 to September 4, 

 during which time the electric current for light and power purposes 

 was purchased from the Potomac Electric Power Co. at the usual 

 rate of 2| cents a kilowatt hour, which is a special rate given to 

 Government establishments having plants for the generation of 

 current. The chief object in closing the plant is to permit of repairs 

 to the machinery and to allow the employees to take the greater part 

 of their leave. It was extremely difficult to have the plant placed 

 in proper" condition by September, as several of the engineers, 

 firemen, and laborers, owing to the high rates of pay offered else- 

 where, resigned during the late spring and early summer. The situ- 

 ation became so acute that it was necessary, in order to retain any 

 of the old men, to increase their compensation by $10 to $15 a 

 month, but even this increase failed to hold them, so that when the 

 heating season arrived all of the assistant engineers had been re- 

 placed by new men and most of the firemen and laborers. Fortu- 

 nately, the only important repair required was the retubing of the 

 feed-water heater. 



It is gratifying to report that although the cost of coal was greater 

 than the preceding year, the cost of electric current was somewhat 



