&EPORT OK ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 1 5 1 



be sent to the Exposition at Marietta, Ohio, a report upon which, pre- 

 pared by him, is hereto appended (Appendix 1>). 

 In conclusion I submit a brief review of the financial history of the 



work. 



The entire appropriation for the Smithsonian Institution, National 

 Museum, and U. S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, for the Centen- 

 nial Exposition of the Ohio Valley and Central States, as mentioned in 

 the act of Congress authorizing the same, was $50,000. Of this amount 

 the sum of $10,000, by agreement between the Secretary of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution and the Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, was set 

 apart for the use of the Commission, leaving $10,000 to cover all ex- 

 penditures of the Smithsonian and Museum for the purchase of new 

 material to complete series as well as all charges for services, and for the 

 transportation and subsistence of employes sent to Cincinnati and Mar- 

 ietta for the preparation, installation, and maintenance of exhibit. 



The first step was the preparation of an estimate of probable expendi- 

 tures, leaving a general contingent fund of about $4,000, which was set 

 aside to be drawn upon when necessary. 



The act of Congress making the appropriation did not become a law 

 until May 28, and the exposition was to be opened on the 4th of July. 

 It therefore became necessary to make our selections and purchases 

 with all possible haste. The Museum schedule rates were, however, 

 taken advantage of when practicable. In cases where this could not 

 be done, and where the amount involved was considerable, when the 

 articles were such as are usually found in the market, competitive bids 

 were obtained. The expense of this hurried work was proportionately 

 great, and a considerable wasteof time and effort was inevitable. 



This extra exposition work crowded into the hot summer months 

 made it necessary for the chief clerk and his assistants to be at their 

 desks early and late, a demand which they cheerfully complied with, 

 giving up their much needed vacations in order to keep up their regular 

 and extra duties. ' 



Vouchers had to be prepared in quadruplicate, one copy for the 

 Smithsonian files, one for the special auditor, one for the disbursing 

 officer, and one for the Treasury Department. This involved much 

 clerical work, as the number of original vouchers was over three hun- 

 dred, making it necessary, in order to fulfill all requirements, to pre- 

 pare a total of more than twelve hundred copies of vouchers. 



While the nature and amount of the disbursements could not be ex- 

 actly determined in advance, it is gratifying to be able to report that a 

 provisional schedule of classified expenditures, which was prepared in 

 the beginning, was at least approximately correct, and would have been 

 still more accurate but tor the postponement of the time of closing the 

 Exposition. As it is, the contingent fund of $4,000 inure than covers 

 all differences between estimated and actual expenditures. 



Although the Exposition was closed as long ago as November 8, ISSS, 



