FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS, 1885-1887. 1025 



Smithsonian Institution, 

 Washington, D. C, June 14, 1886. 

 Your request for a statement as to the expenclitures on account of furniture and 

 fixtures, National Museum, for the fiscal year 1885-86 was duly received, but, as 

 explained in my note of the 12th instant, not until too late for the necessary action 

 at the time. I now, however, beg to submit the information so far as I understand 

 your wishes. It will, I hope, be found to fully confirm my general statement of 

 Saturday, and is as follows: 



Amount of appropriation ^ |40, 000. 00 



Expended to June 15 (wages and salaries to June 1 only): 

 Exhibition cases, unit drawers and trays for same, exhi- 

 bition screens, pedestals, bases, designs and drawings, 

 lumber, plate glass, locks, interior fittings and fixtures, 



and general hardware $17, 186. 95 



Furniture for exhibition halls and offices and repairs to ' 



same 878. 68 



(tlass jars, bottles, vials, and rubber and cork stoppers. . 3, 613. 45 



Labeling cases and specimens, materials for 202. 84 



Apparatus and fixtures for laboratories and repairs to 



same 1 , 145, 01 



Incidental — traveling expenses 12. 91 



Salaries — property clerk, accountant, and copyist, to 



June 1 1, 250. 00 



Wages of carpenters, painters, and other mechanics, in- 

 cluding wages of laborers, to June 1 9, 613. 08 



Balance available June 15 for materials, cases, salaries, 



and wages, etc. , for month of June 6, 097. 08 



40, 000. 00 



I would repeat that the expenditures (excepting as to wages and salaries) cover 

 everything paid for to June 14 (or say 15, to-morrow), and that the balance available 

 will meet all liabilities to the close of the fiscal year, including June salaries and 

 wages. 



With regard to your inquiries as to amounts paid for salaries, highest and lowest 

 salary, etc., I beg to sulnnit the following: 



Total amount for salaries July 1, 1885, to June 1 , 1886 $1, 250. 00 



Highest salary per month (property clerk) $100. 00 



Lowest salary per month (copyist) $30. 00 



Average salary $62. 50 



Total expenditure for wages, 11 months (to June 1, 1886) $9, 613. 08 



Highest number of employees any one month 30 



Lowest number of employees any one month 7 



Average number of employees 161^ 



Highest wages paid mechanics and laborers per day. . $3. 00 



Lowest wages paid mechanics and laborers do $1. 50 



A verage wages paid mechanics and laborers do $2. 25 



With reference to Report of Progress of the Museum, as called for by Congressional 

 enactment (sundry civil act, 1885), I would respectfully state that, as you will see 

 by accompanying printed title-page and table of contents, the report for 1884 was 

 duly submitted and is now in process of publication, though the Public Printer has 

 not yet furnished us with copies. The report for 1885 was also placed before Con- 

 gress at the pro2">er time, and is now at the Government Printing Office awaiting its 

 action in the way of i)ublication. 

 Very truly, yours, 



Spencek F. Baird, Secretary. 

 J. C. Courts, Esq., 



Clerk Coimnlttee on Approj>r!(itiu)U'<. 

 H. Doc. 782 65 



