REPORT OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL MUSEUM. 97 



Details of administration.— Mnch thought has been devoted during 

 the year to the reorganization of the force of experts and workmen em- 

 ployed in the Museum, and with the beginning of the present tiscal year 

 several of the principal assistants of the Museujn were commissioned 

 as curators, and were formally assigned to the charge of special depart- 

 ments. 



A schedule has been drawn up by which the employes of the Museum 

 are classified in a number of groups, each grade having certain responsi- 

 bilities and a fixed salary attached to it. Hereafter, changes of salary 

 can only be effected by a change of grade; and one source of dissatis- 

 faction among the employ6s of the Museum in the past will by this 

 arraugement be avoided. In several instances specialists have volun- 

 teered to perform the duty of curators without pay, for the sake of the 

 opportunities of study which they would thus acquire, and have been 

 appointed honorary curators. 



Another task which has been accomplished is the formulation of the 

 usages and unwritten laws of the establishment in systematic form. So 

 long as the number of employ<Ss was small, this was, perhaps, unneces- 

 sary ; but it has been of late found essential to have printed in acces- 

 sible form a "plan of organization," which should define the duties of 

 officers and employes in each grade, and should explain for their benefit 

 the many forms of administration routine, the observance of which is 

 so necessary for the eJficiency of the Museum work. 



One of the results of this new "plan of organization" has been the 

 comi^lete rearrangement of the offices and workrooms, in which specimens 

 are received, unpacked, and from which they are distributed to the 

 different departments, and of the storage-rooms and preparators' work- 

 shops. 



Another result has been the establishment of the office of registrar, 

 this officer being responsible for all matters relatiug to the reception and 

 sending out of packages, the management of the storage-rooms, and the 

 record and acknowledgment of accessions, the i^acking and unpacking 

 of boxes. 



The force of mechanics, watchmen, engineers and firemen, laborers, 

 messengers, and cleaners has been reorganized, and is under the imme- 

 diate direction of Mr. Henry Horan, superintendent of the building, 

 under whose efficient management a high degree of efficiency and dis- 

 cipline has been attained. 



Employes in this division have been required to assume a uniform 

 cap of blue cloth, with the words "U. S. National JMuseum," and, in 

 the case of the suiierintendent and master-mechanics, with the names 

 of their offices in gold letters upon the front. This plan has proved prac- 

 tically a success, being a convenience to visitors and insuriug better disci- 

 pline. Complete reports of work accomplished in the departments of la- 

 bor and service, in the engineers' and electricians' divisions are on file. 



The electric service of the Museum has been much extended and im- 

 S. Mis. 109 7 



