REPORT OF ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY. f)3 



The following statement concerning the estimates for iippiopriations 

 for tlie fiscal year ending Juue 30, 181>9, is quoted from the report of the 

 acting chief clerk, Mr. J. L. Willige: 



In October estimates were prepared of tlie appropriations required for the main- 

 tenance of the National Museum during the iiscal year ending .June 30, 1899. In 

 addition to the regular appropriations for furniture and fixtures, heating and light- 

 ing, preservation aud increase of collections, building repairs, rent of worlcshops, 

 postage, and printing and binding, the following special appropriations were 

 requested: For illustrations for Museum publications, $r),000; for the purchase of 

 books, pamphlets, aud periodicals for reference, $2,000; for the continuation of the 

 construction of galleries in the Museum building, the building of skylights in the 

 four courts, and the erection of a ventilator upon the roof of the lecture hall, $10,000 ; 

 for the erection of a lireproof building for workshop and storage purposes, $50,000; 

 for the purchase of the herbarium of the late M. S. Bebb, of Rockford, Illinois, 

 $5,000; for the purchase of the library of the late G. Brown Goode, $5,000. 

 * An increase of $20,000 was requested in the estimates for the coming fiscal year 

 for the preservation, exhibition, aud increase of the Museum collections. The 

 importance of the grant of this additional sum for the purpose of developing the 

 Department of Geology aud expanding it in the direction of a musevim of practical 

 geology and to enable substantial increases to be made in the compensation of the 

 higher grades of assistants in the Museum was strongly urged upon Congress. 



The latest conference report on the sundry civil bill states the item at $165,000, an 

 increase of $5,000 over the appropriation for 1898. 



In the estimates for appropriatious for the coming fiscal year is an item of $15,000 

 for heating and lighting, being $1,000 in excess of the current appropriation. 



In view of the considerable sum of money paid from year to year by the Museum 

 for the preparation of drawings for use in the Museum publications, it was endeav- 

 ored to have a specific appropriation of $5,000 provided for the purpose. It was 

 explained that this item of expenditure is an important one in carrying out the 

 policy of disseminating information regarding the Government collections among 

 educational institutions throughout the country, and the hope expressed that it 

 would not be necessary to continue the cost of illustrations as a charge upon the 

 appropriation for the preservatiou, exhibition, aud increase of the Museum collec- 

 tions. The sundry civil bill, while not, however, containing a specific appropriation 

 for drawings, authorizes the expenditure for this purpose, from the preservation of 

 collections appropriation, of a sum not exceeding $5,500. 



In the estimates submitted to Congress for the coming fiscal year is an item of 

 $17,000 for printing the Bulletins and Proceedings and labels and blanks for the 

 National ^luseum, aud binding books aud pamphlets for the Museum library. It is 

 urged that the entire sum asked be appropriated, in order that an edition of the 

 Museum publications large enough to supply the principal scientific and educational 

 establishments may be assured. 



The sundry civil bill had not become a law at the close of the fiscal 

 year, but the aj^propriations for the year ending June 30, 1899, as 

 agreed to by the conferees of the Senate and House of Eei)resentatives 

 are as follows : ^ 



Furniture aud fixtures (including $20,000 for furnishing new galleries) $35, 000 



Heating and lighting 14, 000 



Preservatiou of collections • 165, 000 



Purchase of books of reference 2, 000 



Building repairs 4, 000 



' The sundry civil bill, as finally passed, carried the appropriations indicated. 



