32 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



All this refers to seudings abroad. 



Actual. 



Estimated. 



The receipts are : 1 



Congressional packages | ,|il,348 



Departmental packages i 7,211 



Society and private packages 1 2, 926 



Total 11,485 



flO, 784 



14, OUO 



3,000 



27,784 



The average time for receipts will be probably reduced to less than one-half that 

 at present. 



Expenses of the service : 



Service, including salaries* 



Transportation 



Boxes 



Incidentals, paper, printing, etc 



Total 



1886-'87. Estimated. 



$11,630.30 



2, 064. 91 



575. 77 



412.41 



14,683.11 



|16, 500 



9,000 



950 



600 



27, 050 



This estimate does not include any charge for office rent. 

 Summary at present, 85 tons annually in thirty-six days at a total cost of. .. §14, 683 

 By proposed plan, 150 tons annually in fifteen days at a total cost of 27, 050 



The following memoraudum appears iu the Congressional Eecord of 

 July 29, 1888, page 7666, and contains the leading facts in a succinct 

 form : 



^^International Exchanges. — Present system established by resolution 

 of Congress approved March 2, 1867, and by subsequent legishition. 

 Fifty copies of all Government publications put at disposal of Commit- 

 tee on Library for international exchange. 



Uniform system agreed upon at international geographical conference, 

 Paris, 1875, and modified by conferences for this particular purpose at 

 Brussels in 1880, 1883, and 1886. Treaty now before Senate is the re- 

 sult of these conferences. There is now no comi)leted treaty obligation. 

 England, Germany, and France have declined to ratify the treaty, and 

 were not represented at the last conference. 



The Smithsonian is not concerned with the system otherwise than as 

 the agent of the Government, but has paid a material part of the cost 

 annually from its private fund. 



As the office is now organized the annual expenditure is at the fol- 

 lowing rates : 



Pay-rolls, $965 per month $11,580 



Foreign agents 1,500 



Boxes, freight, etc., estimated 3, 000 



• 16, 080 



* It is not superfluous to repeat that these services are those of persons engaged iu 

 addition to the proper personnel of this institutiou, the services of whose officers are 

 given without charge. 



