REPORT OP THE SECRETARY 75 



of tlie SniitliMMiiaii Iiistit iilioii," $1,003. r)4* \vero n'paid to the lustitufion 1>y Govciu- 

 iiieut Departnieuts to which specilic appiopriations had been granted for this pur- 

 pose, leaving a delicit of $788.56, which was iiaid from the Smithsonian fund. 



Although all of the Government bureaus that have occasion to transmit their 

 publications through the Institution arc not provided with funds available for de- 

 fraying the cost of the service, it seems to have been the intention of Congress that 

 its specific appropriation for the exchange business shoulil be supjilemeuted by special 

 appropriations to some of the bureaus and departments of the Government, so that 

 the charge of 5 cents per pound w'eight imposed by the regents in 1878 might be met 

 by them. The average amount annually repaid to the Institution iu this way during 

 the past eleven years has been about §il, 400. 



Dr. Kidder strongly recommended, and I beg to renew his recommendation, that 

 this procedure, for which sufficient reasons existed at the time of its adoption, may 

 now be discontinued as no longer advantageous or economical. By the present 

 system the cost of the service is actually larger than appears in the specific appro- 

 priations for exchanges, and, as the special appropriations to the different Depart- 

 ments vary from year to year and are often omitted altogether, a burden which can 

 not be accurately foreseen, is imposed upon the Smithsonian fund. 



In order to effect the change contemplated — that is, to collect in a single item the 

 entire appropriation for international exchanges, and at the same time to make 

 allowance for a proper compensation to the ocean steam-ship companies for freight, 

 and to bring the schedule of salaries more nearly up to the standard established for 

 the classified service of the Govcriuneut — an estimate of !ji"27,.^00 was submitted for 

 the fiscal year 1889-'90. 



This sum would then have been divided somewhat as follows: 



Salaries ■ $l(i (500 



Transportation : 



From Washington to seaboard $2, 280 



. Ocean freight 5, 000 



From point of debarkation (o destination 1,750 



9, 030 



Boxes 950 



Incidentals 920 



Total >;27,500 



The amount finally appropriated was flo.OOO, no increase having been granted. 



COUIJESrOXDEXTS. 



The number of correspondents has been increased durinj the year by 2,1.57, making 

 the total number now upon our books 13,130, classified as follows: 



Societies and institutions. 

 Individuals 



Foreign. Domestic. 



4,46() 1,355 



4,699 2,610 



"The items in the report of the executive committee— $2,329.99 under the head of 

 expenditures for exchanges, and $2,189.52 repayments — include receipts and expendi- 

 tures made on account of the preceding fiscal year. 



