REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 33 



I (lesiic here, however, to call atteution not so much to the exteusiou 

 ot this system of correspondeuce as to the existing relations of the 

 Smithsonian Institution and of the I^ational Government to this 

 Exchange Service. 



The service was, as I have stated, inaugurated nearly a half century 

 since, and at that time, in the absence of pecuniary means other than 

 its own little fund, the Institution appealed to the generosity of the 

 ocean and other large transportation companies to aid it in its unselfish 

 work of diffusing knowledge by carrying, free, cases containing the 

 communications between learne dsocieties and others in their respec- 

 tive countries. Foreign governments have always recognized the 

 peculiar service of the Institution by allowing its exchange cases free 

 l)assage through their customs services, and in our own country past 

 Secretaries of the Treasury have given special instructions to like effect. 



In later years a most important change in this respect, and one 

 whose importance is still increasing, comes from the fact that the facili- 

 ties of the Exchange Service of the Institution are now made use of 

 by all branches of the Government service, and the cases carried by 

 these comi^anies contain chiefly Government publications, such, for 

 instance, as the Congressional Ilecord and others. 



I again call attention to the fact that, though transportation charges 

 are now paid over many lines, it is only through the continuance of this 

 peculiar privilege of free freight over other lines, granted originally in 

 view of quite other conditions ^ that it is possible for the Institution to 

 continue the transportation of these documents under the present 

 appropriations, and efficiency and promptness can not be demanded of 

 the unpaid service upon which the Institution relies. It has happened, 

 for instance, that exchange boxes have been delayed seven months at 

 the seaport awaiting a convenient opportunity of shipment. 



Congress has never made appropriations sufficient to meet the entire 

 expense of the exchange as conducted under the above partly gratuitous 

 ocean service, even in taking into account the repayment to the Insti- 

 tution of money advanced to certain Government bureaus for the dis- 

 tribution of their exchanges and the amounts received from other 

 bureaus under the ruling of the Kegents referred to. An examination 

 of the records shows that the Institution has in past years expended 

 of its own fund over $38,000 in the transportation of Congressional 

 documents alone.^ 



The ofiQce has been laboring under the disadvantage of reduced appro- 

 priations, and it has been necessary to curtail expenses in every direc- 

 tion. Toward the close of the year, a deficiency estimate having failed 

 to receive favorable action, it became necessary to restrict greatly the 

 shipments and to notify many correspondents that transmissions would 



'Tbe exchange of Government documents is about 70 per cent of the entire 

 exchange work. 



-Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, 1890, p. 18. 



SM94 3 



