REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 53 



In addition to this a special exhibit was prepared by the Bureau of 

 Ethnology, Maj. J. W. Powell, Director, to which 1,425 square feet were 

 assigned. The total number of visitors to the exhibition was 1,055,276. 



Dr. Goode was unable, on account of other duties, to personally attend 

 the exhibition, and Mr. K. E. Earll was placed in charge of the exhibit. 



Considerable difficulty was experienced in connection with the ex- 

 penditure of the funds appropriated by Congress for the work of pre- 

 paring exhibits, owing to the decisions of the special auditor appointed 

 to audit the exposition accounts. His objections were in every instance 

 finally withdrawn, and all vouchers have now, after protracted delays, 

 been approved by that official. An extraordinary number of points of 

 a trivial nature were raised, which necessitated the writing of as numer- 

 ous letters to answer questions which had not previously been under- 

 stood to come within the province of an auditor. In view of this ex- 

 perience it is urged that should Congress at any time direct the Smith- 

 sonian Institution to participate in future expositions, the law be so 

 framed as to require the appointment of an auditing officer who is 

 familiar with the demands of exhibition work. If, however, this be im- 

 practicable, it seems proper that the responsibility of selecting and 

 deciding as to what should be the character of the exhibits should be 

 left entirely to the judgment of the various Departments, the auditor's 

 work being limited to the examination of the accounts, which should of 

 course be sufficiently detailed to prevent errors. Another cause of de- 

 lay in settling the exhibition accounts was due to the fact that the 

 disbursing officer was stationed at Newport, Ky., instead of Washing- 

 ton, where by far the greater part of the bills were contracted. The 

 paymaster drew checks upon the Cincinnati depository only, and this 

 method appeared to be unjust, siuce it obliged employes to wait several 

 days before receiving payment, and in addition to lose some part of their 

 money, owing to the refusal of the Treasury Department in Washington 

 to honor the checks. The only alternative for them was to present the 

 checks to local banks, paying the usual discount rates. 



Marietta Centennial Exposition. — By an Executive order, dated July 

 11, 1888, permission was granted to the heads of the departments rep- 

 resented at the Cincinnati Exhibition to send to the Centennial Expo- 

 sition at Marietta, Ohio, such objects as could be conveniently spared 

 either from the exhibits at Cincinnati or direct from Washington. In 

 accordance with this order an exhibit was prepared under the direction 

 of the assistant secretary. Mr. W. V. Cox, chief clerk of the Museum, 

 was appointed by him as his representative. Since only one day inter- 

 vened in this instance between the issuing of the Executive order and 

 the opening of the exhibition there was no time to be lost. An exhibit, 

 with a total weight of 7,327 pounds, was prepared and installed at 

 Marietta before the opening of the exhibition. The exhibit included 

 specimens selected from the Haida collection of ethnological objects, 

 lithographs of the game fishes of the United States, a series of medals, 



