REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 49 



devoting a part of the income of the fund to this purpose, 

 and from that time to the present the Institution has assigned 

 space in the Smithsonian building and has appropriated a con- 

 siderable part of its annual revenue to the support of the 

 system of International Exchanges. 



The United States Government participated to a large 

 extent in the benefits of the exchange system of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution for many years without contributing to its 

 support, until the burden became so great that Congress in 

 1881 made an appropriation of $3,000 for the purpose, and 

 since then has made larger provision for the service from year 

 to year until $24,000 was granted for the fiscal year ending 

 June 30, 1900, and a like amount was appropriated for the 

 last year. 



Notwithstanding the support of Congress in aid of the 

 exchange service during recent years, none of the appropria- 

 tions have been quite adequate to the growth of the service 

 and to provide for improvements necessary to expedite 

 exchange transmissions, which, within the last two years, have 

 been unusually large. In order to accomplish these improve- 

 ments it has been necessary to substitute fast mail steamers 

 for the slower ones upon which the ocean transportation com- 

 panies usually granted the Institution the courtesy of free 

 freight, and in demanding the best possible facilities it has 

 been necessary in most instances to pay the customary rates. 



The field covered by correspondents of the Smithsonian 

 Institution and the contributors and recipients of its ex- 

 changes is now represented by one hundred and forty-eight 

 countries, covering every part of the civilized world and 

 extending to several countries where enlightenment has only 

 commenced to manifest itself. In the latter are some of the 

 most appreciative correspondents of the service. 



Outside the United States the Smithsonian correspondents 

 now number twenty-seven thousand five hundred and fifty -six 

 (27,55(3), and including this country there is a grand total 

 of thirty-five thousand seven hundred and five (35,705), an 

 aggregate increase of seventeen hundred and fifty-four (1,754) 

 during the year. 



The parcels received for transmission this year number 

 one hundred and twenty-one thousand and sixty (121,060) 

 sm 1901 4 



