IQQ THE BUREAU OF SCIENCE 



branches of the Government. The available space has rapidly 

 been filled, and even now certain sections are crowded. Fre- 

 quent moving of large sections of books in order to shelve new 

 sets is far from economical, and as the limit of the capacity 

 of the library is approached such changes become necessary at 

 more and more frequent intervals, since it is impossible to 

 predict with certainty what sections will grow most rapidly. 

 More room and additional shelf space for the care of the 

 scientific books will be urgently needed before they can be 

 provided. 



We have in the Bureau of Science the best collection of 

 Philippine plants in the world. The scientific value of this 

 botanical collection cannot be estimated, for it would be impos- 

 sible to replace the larger portion of it, but there is no doubt 

 that the herbarium has an immediate cash value of ?=30,000. In 

 its present location the herbarium is in danger of destruction 

 by fire. Plans for safer housing of the collections in a fire-proof 

 building should be made. The present quarters give very little 

 light, now that they are stored full of herbarium cases and are 

 not at all adapted to the needs of a herbarium. 



The present arrangement of the clerical force is very unsat- 

 isfactory. The office of the chief clerk is on the first floor; 

 the majority of clerks are housed in a large room over the serum 

 laboratory ; the assistant to the editor of The Philippine Journal 

 of Science and the clerks that have to do with the Journal and 

 other publications are on the second floor, and the clerks who 

 wrap and mail the publications are in the attic. This is a very 

 unsatisfactory arrangement. The clerks who wrap the publica- 

 tions of the Journal should be under the direct supervision of 

 the assistant to the editor. All clerks should be segregated so 

 that they may be easily supervised, and all of these various 

 branches should be near the office of the director of the Bureau. 

 The large room at present occupied by the herbarium is not at 

 all well adapted to the needs of the botanists, but it would make 

 an admirable general oflSce in which could be placed the entire 

 clerical force, including the proof readers and others connected 

 with The Philippine Journal of Science and other publications. 

 This centralization would result in better discipline, greater 

 efficiency, and the saving of much time. 



I have the honor to recommend the appropriation of ^50,000 

 to complete the new wing for which one-half has already been 

 provided in Act 2264 of the Third Philippine Legislature, 

 special session of 1913, in order that we may provide for a fire- 

 proof building in which to house the valuable botanical collections 



