REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 33 



This means ' slow ' freight, and for the most part gratuitous, on the 

 ocean. The average time for transmission of a parcel to western Europe 

 is now thirty-six days. By ordinary fast freight it could be reduced to 

 sixteen days. Extraordinary delays occur frequently because of the 

 fact that the freight is carried gratuitously. Boxes ship[)ed from Kome, 

 for example, in December last were held in Naples three months by the 

 steam ship line because its steamer's space was all filled by paying 

 freight. The same thing has occurred frequently on this side of the 

 ocean. As at present organized, the Smithsonian sends out about one- 

 third of the United States Government publications, and receives from 

 foreign governments less than one-tenth of their otiicial publications. 

 Very much is thus lost which is of great interest and value to our Gov- 

 ernment offices. 



Many of the Executive Departments which wish to use the exchange 

 system are obliged to adopt other measures at considerably increased 

 cost. Some of them have special appropriations to defray part of the 

 cost of special transmissions by the Smithsonian. 



The sum estimated for ($27,050), is the result of careful calculation, 

 based upon a comparison of the details of the business for several years 

 back. It is the Secretary's opinion that it will far more than repay it- 

 self by an increased efficiency in the service and by the number of val- 

 uable works whicli it will bring to Congress and the Executive Depart- 

 ments of the Government." 



I am aware that it hardly lies within the power of the Eegents as a 

 body to correct the evils I have referred to, but I present this summary 

 and imperfect statement of them, in the hoi)e that those of the Eegents 

 who are legislators will perhaps be able and willing, in their individual 

 capacity, to do something to remedy the state of things which I have 

 just shown to be actually existiug. 



I have represented a wearisome and trying matter very briefly. For 

 a statement more at large of the actual condition of the exchanges, I 

 beg to refer to the valuable report made to the Secretary b}^ the»curator 

 of exchanges, which will be found in the appendix. 



Preparation of new exchange lists. — In March, 1887, the writer, then 

 Assistant Secretary, acting under the general instructions of the Secre- 

 tary, Professor Baird, with a view to perfecting the collections of the 

 Smithsonian Library so that thej' might include scientific periodicals 

 j)ublished throughout the world, where these were obtainable by ex- 

 change, undertook to ascertain as far as possible the names of all useful 

 (particularly of all modern) publications which were not on the old 

 Smithsonian lists. 



To do this it was necessary to get information not existing in print, 

 and as the search for the names of desired publications was necessarily 

 im an extended scale, it seemed proper to enlist as many expert coad- 

 jutors as possible. To this end the principal branches of human 

 knowledge to the number of thirty were indexed on as many separate 

 lists. Several copies were made of eacli list, and then it was sought, 

 by sending a copy of each to an eminent specialist in the branch in 



n. Mis. 142 3 



