ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 

 1898-1899. 



To the Trustees of the Field Columbian Museum: 



I have the honor to present a report of the operations of the 

 Museum for the year closing September 30, 1899. The same careful 

 attention to the details and routine of departmental work has been 

 continued, and the customary regime sustained. A greater amount of 

 new material has been placed on exhibition, and the improvement in 

 the general appearance of the Exhibition Halls has been more notice- 

 able than during any twelve months of which a report has been made. 

 This statement applies almost equally to each department, although 

 to those associated with the Museum it is more apparent in the De- 

 partments of Anthropology and Zoology. Few changes have been 

 made in the working staff of the Museum, and those changes have 

 concerned only subordinate positions. The discipline of the Institu- 

 tion has been creditable, its progress has been steady and definite, 

 and it is believed that consideration of the minutiae following will 

 demonstrate the wisdom of the carefully devised plans of the execu- 

 tive committee, and the fidelity with which those plans have been 

 executed. 



Income and Maintenance. — The annual budget approved by the 

 executive committee provided the sum of ;^io2,ooo.oo for the main- 

 tenance of the Museum for the fiscal year. The actual amount 

 expended was $92,736.25, leaving a balance within the anticipated 

 expenses for the year of $9,263.75. In addition to the cost of 

 maintenance, sums were expended upon authority of the executive 

 committee, for collections and new installations, expeditions, etc., 

 that brought the total to $128,936.50. The deficit, as on previous 

 years, has been met by individual contributions and by the further 

 sale of securities. Comparing the expenditures of maintenance this 

 year with those of last year, there is discovered a slight increase in 

 the compensation of departmental assistants, in part balanced by a 

 reduction in that of the general staff and in the lesser amount ex- 

 pended for materials for maintenance and repairs to the building. 

 The difference in the total expenditures for maintenance, comparing 



351 



