REPORT OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. 37 



National Museum will be found under this heading in the report for 

 1883. 



The Superintendent of the United States Naval Observatory has in- 

 cluded the Sniitlisonian building and that of the National Museum in 

 the series of i)ublic establishments which receive telegraphic time at 

 noon on each successive day, and a clock, fitted up under the direction 

 of the Observatory, with an arrangement by which the Observatory 

 itself corrects any aberration in time, has been sui)plied. The money 

 expense has been borne by the Institution, but no charge has been 

 made for the time service. 



Through the courtesy of Colonel Kockwell, Superintendent of Public 

 Buildings and Grounds, connection has been made with the underground 

 telephone laid by his authority through the i)ublic grounds by the War- 

 ing Company. A special advantage in this was the opportunity of 

 making a more satisfactory connection between the National Museum 

 building and the United States carp ponds, a service that previously 

 had been much interrupted. Connection was also made through the 

 same trench with the Fire Alarm Telegraph Company, and the neces- 

 sary permission to open North B street was promptly granted by the 

 District Commissioners. 



(c) Property and supplies. 



The property clerk has, as hitherto, be«n in charge of and held re- 

 sponsible for all articles of furniture, and, in general, all Museum sup- 

 plies, and has been required to inspect the same and report upon them 

 to the Assistant Director. It is also his duty to keep in hand a stock 

 of such articles as are in most general use, issuing the same to any per- 

 son who presents a requisition duly endorsed. He is also required, when 

 necessary, to bay special articles, whose purchase has been duly ap- 

 proved. 



It is the duty of the property clerk to see that in the purchase of 

 goods two points are especially attended to, viz : quality and price. If 

 the cost of an article will probably exceed $10, the property clerk is 

 required to obtain estimates from several reliable dealers. 



(d) Accounts. 



Owing to the continued ill-health of Mr. George S. Hobbs, who had 

 been in charge of this department, it was found necessary to relieve 

 him of otficial duties, and on July 13 Mr. H. W. Spoflord was engaged 

 to fill his place temporarily, and also to assist ]Mr. William V. Cox, who 

 was acting as financial clerk on the special exposition staff. 



The administration of the Museum accounts has been carried on, as 

 heretofore, under the direction of the chief clerk of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, and all payments have been made through his office. A 

 statement of the receipts and expenditures of the Museum will be found, 

 as usual, in the report of the executive committee of the Board of Ke- 

 gentB of the Smithsonian Institution. 



