REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 27 



attention to tbis subject 'i'ha result of liis iu\ estijiation appears to 

 sliow that the reproach for delay was then well Ibnnded, but that the 

 blame did not lie at the door of the Institution, which did not, and does 

 not, possess the means to efficiently fulfill the tasks now imposed ujjon 

 it. He hopes some improvement has already been eftected ; but much 

 doubtless remains to be done. 



In the early period of the history of the exchanges nearly all trans- 

 portation was slow, but if it took the Smithsonian two or three months 

 to send a package to Europe and as much to bring it back, it took the 

 private individual the same time. The early steam-ship lines, then or a 

 little later, generously aided the Smithsonian i)lan by giving the ex- 

 changes free transportation, a privilege which the Institution has often 

 used, but now that rapid transportation is general, does not wish to 

 abuse by making a request that such companies should continue to 

 transport the whole of its greatly increased freight without charge. 



There is another reason why they should not be requested to do so 

 in the fact that the character of the freight the exchange department 

 sends has changed, as the greater part of it is now the property of the 

 nation, and if the General Government desires this to go by rapid transit, 

 it is certainly able to pay for it. As Congress does not pay for rapid 

 transit, it is a reasonable conclusion that it does not desire it, but it 

 may be doubted whether either the extent of the actual use of the 

 Smithsonian exchanges by the Government or the degree of delay of 

 governmental business is understood. 



To bring the facts in the case to mind let me recall, first, that the 

 original exchange system commenced in 1846, and, second, that after 

 twenty years of useful work exclusively in the interests of knowledge, 

 an entirely new duty was imposed ui)on it by the act of ?/Iarch, 18G7, 

 which established the International Exchange of Government Publica- 

 tions and made the Smithsonian Institution the ag'ency for this ex- 

 change, giving it for distribution 50 copies of all documents printed 

 by order of eilher house of Congress, 50 additional copies of all docu- 

 ments printed in excess of the usual number, together with 50 of each 

 publication issued by any Department or Bureau of the Government; 

 while the resolution of July 25, 1808, makes it obligatory upon the De- 

 partments to furnish 50 copies of each jmblication issued by then), 

 wherever ])rinted. 



Accordingly, of late years, there has been added to the primitive 

 Smithsonian exchange system and merged with it the additional feature 

 of carrying the Government's exchanges. 



The Institutioi^ possessed unequaled experience and facilities for 

 such work, and though the new class of books brought to its exchange 

 department was i)artly foreign to its original object, the propriety of 

 its assuming such a service, if the Government's interests could be pro- 

 moted by this experience, is evident. It certainly, however, was not 



