APPENDIX 8 



REPORT ON THE INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF 

 SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE 



Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith the following report on 

 the operations of the United States Regional Bureau of the Inter- 

 national Catalogue of Scientific Literature for the fiscal year ending 

 June 30, 1928 : 



Since actual publication of the International Catalogue Avas sus- 

 pended in 1922, owing to the inability of the foreign bureaus to 

 contribute their quota of the necessary financial support, it has been 

 the policy of this bureau to keep its expenditures at the lowest pos- 

 sible amount consistent with the need of keeping the organization 

 operating sufficiently to compile the necessary records of current 

 scientific publications. This policy has been explained each year to 

 the Bureau of the Budget and to congressional appropriation com- 

 mittees, the understanding being that until publication v\'as resumed 

 some part of the appropriation would revert to the surplus fund of 

 the Treasury. Each year a surplus has reverted, and this year it 

 was found possible to allow the classifier to take seven months' fur- 

 lough without seriously interfering with the necessary routine. By 

 this means an additional saving of $1,225 was made, the gross ex- 

 penditures of the year being $5,867.29 out of the appropriation of 

 $7,260, the remainder, $1,392.71, reverting to the Treasury. 



As the financial status of a number of the cooperating foreign 

 countries now appears to be established on a firmer basis than at any 

 time since the war, this bureau is making an effort, through corre- 

 spondence, to formulate a practical plan Vvhereby the necessary sup- 

 port may be had to enable the Central Bureau to resume publication. 

 To this end letters were sent to the several members of the executive 

 committee of the catalogue and to the director of the London Central 

 Bureau in whose hands control of the organization is vested. As 

 these letters outline the situation and are self-explanatory, I submit 

 copies herewith. 



May 22, 11)28. 

 Dear Sib: As a memlxn- of the execntive committee of the International 

 Catalogue of Scientific Literature, to wliich the International Convention in 

 Brussels in July, 1922, referred the question of the future of the undertaking, I 

 beg to submit the following : 



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