808 HISTORY OF THE SMITHSONIAN EXCHANGES. 



it becomes necessary, therefore, that operations in this department should 

 hereafter be more confined to the immediate interests of the Institution, 

 unless Congress shall vouchsafe its assistance. 



Aid in connection with the exchange system is requested on the fol- 

 lowing grounds : 



(1.) The expenses of the exchanges by the Smithsonian Institution of 

 its own publications should in equity be paid by the United States Gov- 

 ernment, for the reason that the proceeds of these exchanges (now form- 

 ing a library of about 100,000 volumes) are all deposited in the Con- 

 gressional Library as soon as received. 



(2.) The system enables the several departments and bureaus of the 

 government to obtain valuable materials for their respective libraries 

 by exchange of their publications for tiiose of corresponding depart- 

 ments and bureaus of other governments, and which publications can 

 be obtained only through exchange. 



(3.) The work of the Institution for the benefit of other establishments 

 in this country is national in its character, tending greatly to advance 

 general science and popular education. 



Your predecessor in office, realizing this drain upon the resources of 

 the Smithsonian, requested Congress for an appropriation of $7,000, 

 which was the estimated cost of the work at the time; an allowance, 

 however, of only f 3,000 was granted. The money was placed in charge 

 of the Interior Department, this disposition of it being made presumably 

 at the instance of the Department of State and as an indication of its 

 preference to be relieved from further responsibility in the matter ; and 

 for this reason the Smithsonian Institution made direct application to 

 Congress for an appropriation of $5,000 for the coming fiscal year. This 

 estimate, though entirely below the sum requisite for carrying on the 

 work, was submitted as more likely to be allowed than a larger amount. 

 I trust that if the Department of State is willing to continue its efforts 

 in connection with the exchanges, it will ask for at least $10,000 for the 

 service. If it is desirable that the Smithsonian should also take charge 

 of the government and other exchanges now passing through the State 

 Department, a still larger sum will be required. 



It will be entirely agreeable to the Smithsonian Institution to prose- 

 cute the exchange system under the general direction of the Depart- 

 ment of State, and thereby secure the services of consuls or foreign 

 ministers of the United States in those countries where national bureaus 

 of exchange have not yet been established. 



Commending the subject to your early and careful consideration, 



I have the honor to be, &c., 

 Spencer F. Baird, 

 Secretary of Smithsonian Institution. 



As the amount ($3,000) appropriated by Congress in assistance of the 

 Institution for the last year (18S1) had been placed nnder the direction 



