OPERATIONS OF THE YEAE. 



APPROPRIATIONS. 



The maintenance and operations of the National Museum for the 

 fiscal year from July 1, 1920, to June 30, 1921, were provided for by 

 the following amounts appropriated in the sundry civil bill ap- 

 proved June 5, 1920, and in the first and second deficiency bills ap- 

 proved on March 1 and June 16, 1921, respectively : 



Preservation of collections $312. 620. 00 



Furniture and fixtures 20,000.00 



Heating and lighting; 74,000.00 



Building repairs 10.000.00 



Books 2, 000. 00 



Postage 500.00 



Printing and binding 64,202.70 



483. 322. 70 



The item for preservation of collections, from which are paid the 

 administrative, scientific, preparatorial, and clerical staff, the watch, 

 labor, and cleaning force, and the cost of all preservatives, has re- 

 mained at $300,000 from 1911 until the present time. The additional 

 $12,620 this year was given for the extension of the service to cover 

 an additional building — the Freer Gallery of Art — for which it pro- 

 vided watchmen, cleaners, and clerical help and the necessary mis- 

 cellaneous supplies needed in connection therewith. It afforded no 

 cessation of the strictest economy by means of which only is it pos- 

 sible to continue the operations of the Museum. Present conditions 

 can perhaps best be realized when it is mentioned that 10 years ago 

 the item of $300,000 was considered insufficient to cover the needs of 

 the Museum in these lines. Within this half decade, with its tre- 

 mendous decrease in the purchasing power of the dollar, over 3,000,000 

 specimens have been added to the collections, the scope of the Museum 

 has been materially enlarged, and an additional building has been 

 added to the Museum group, aside from the Freer Gallery. The 

 appropriation alone has remained stationary. 



During this period increases have been granted, however, in the 

 items for heating and lighting and for printing and binding, owing 

 to the increased cost of coal and the tremendous increase in the cost 

 of labor, paper, and other materials used in printing. On the other 

 hand, even with the greatly extended service, the item for building 

 71305°— 21 2 15 



