REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 89 



that the efficiency of the service with Austria-Hungary would thus be 

 seriously impaired. I learned, further, that merchants usually shipped 

 their goods to the United States from European Atlantic ports whenever 

 time was an object to be considered. 



"Under the circumstances noted above, I beg to recommend the continu- 

 ance of the practice of sending exchanges to Vienna and Budapest via Ham- 

 burg for the present, at least, or until such time as an official exchange 

 bureau supported by the Imperial Government of Austria-Hungary shall 

 be provided for. 



"Dr. Joseph von Korosy, director of the statistical bureau of the city of 

 Budapest, was appointed agent for the Institution for the distribution and 

 forwarding of exchanges at the conclusion of my visit to Hungary in 1897, 

 and has since served in that capacity. Prior to my arrival at Budapest 

 Dr. Korosy had been ill for several weeks, but was then convalescent and 

 had resumed his official duties. 



" Dr. Julius Pikler, his assistant, personally attends to the distribution of 

 exchanges, and keeps a record of all parcels received and forwarded. For 

 this service Dr. Pikler receives each year from the Smithsonian Institution 

 300 kronen — equivalent to $60. On account of his faithful and efficient 

 performance of duty, I beg to recommend that his compensation be 

 increased to 500 kronen, or $100 per annum. 



"The bureau of statistics has for many years been located in a large 

 building known as the "Redoute," but during the month of September 

 was to have been moved to the city hall, where the library of the bureau, 

 numbering 27,000 volumes, and the official library of the city will be con- 

 solidated and placed under Dr.. Korosy' s charge. 



"In response to my request, Dr. Korosy promised to procure, if possible, 

 copies of all the publications of the city of Budapest for the Library of 

 Congress, though he feared that they could not be obtained for several 

 months, but would be eventually. He fully realizes the importance of 

 exchanging publications with foreign countries, especially with the United 

 States, but regrets that other officers of the city government do not place 

 the same value upon a mutual exchange, and for that reason little provi- 

 sion is made for surplus copies. 



"While in Budapest I made the same inquiries with regard to reducing 

 the expenditures for transportation of exchanges that I did in Vienna, but 

 met with a similar expression of opinion, which led me to favor a continu- 

 ance of the present custom of using the route to and from Hamburg on 

 account of better service, though the freight rates are considerably higher 

 than by Adriatic ports. 1 



1 Since my return to Washington I learned that Dr. Korosy addressed a 

 letter to the Secretary bearing the date of July 11, in which he refers to 

 my visit and to the matter of inland freight on exchanges. He proposes 

 to ask the State railways of Hungary to transport exchanges between Buda- 

 pest and Fiume without charge, and will also attempt to obtain a conces- 

 sion from the ministry of posts and telegraphs to enable exchange parcels 

 to be forwarded free of postage. Concerning this concession, however, he 

 has little hopes for success. 



