REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 47 



was repaired and painted ; and doors in the storage room were made 

 fireproof by covering with sheet iron. 



The exterior of the Aircraft Building was repainted and broken 

 glass replaced. 



The work of replacement of the main portion of the concrete 

 service road east of the Natural History Building was continued, 

 1801/2 linear feet being laid during the year. 



The power plant was in operation from September 21, 1927, until 

 May 29, 1928. The consumption of coal was 3,416 tons, an amount 

 in excess of that used in 1927. The average cost of coal was some- 

 what greater than for the preceding year, being $5.87 per ton. The 

 Steamboat Inspection Service of the United States examined the 

 boilers during the summer and reported them in good condition, 

 stating that they complied with all regulations governing steam 

 boilers of this type. The elevators have been regularly inspected 

 by the District of Columbia inspector, and are now equipped with 

 all necessary safeguards to protect passengers. The total electric 

 current produced amounted to 603,343 kilowatt-hours, manufactured 

 at a cost of 1.89 cents per kilowatt-hour, including interest on the 

 plant, depreciation, labor, and material. The engineer reports a 

 decided increase in efficiency in the production of electric current, 

 due to installation of new pistons in the operating engines, an essen- 

 tial increase, as the demands for light and power from all the build- 

 ings grow larger each year. The ice plant manufactured 354.3 tons 

 of ice at an average cost of $2.41i/^ per ton, which is slightly less than 

 the cost for the previous year. 



During the year 23 exhibition cases and bases, 226 pieces of storage, 

 laboratory, and office furniture, and 2,178 drawers of various kinds 

 were added, practically all of these being manufactured in our shops. 



MEETINGS AND RECEPTIONS 



Tlie lecture rooms and auditorium of the National Museum during 

 the present year were used for 115 meetings, which covered a wide 

 range of activities. Governmental agencies that utilized these re- 

 sources for hearings, meetings, lectures, and exhibitions of pic- 

 tures included the Commission of Fine Arts, the Graduate School 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture, the Federal Hor- 

 ticultural Board, the Forest Service, the Federal Radio Commission, 

 the Bureau of Plant Industry, and the Extension Service of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. 



Members of the Forest Service held a series of moetings during 

 the year dealing with various phases of their work. The Smithsonian 

 staff was convened on February 17, 1928, for an address with motion 



