4 ANNUAL EEPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1916. 



committee, amounted to $105,125.10, leaving a balance of $44,711.02 

 on deposit June 30, 1916, in the United States Treasury and in cash. 

 The Institution was charged by Congress with the disbursement of 

 the following appropriations for the year ending June 30, 1916 : 



International exchanges $32, 000 



American ethnology 42, 000 



Astrophysical Observatory 13, 000 



National Museum : 



Furniture and fixtures 25, 000 



Heating and lighting 46, 000 



Preservation of collections 300, 000 



Books 2, 000 



Postage 500 



Building repairs 15, 000 



Bookstacks for Government bureau libraries 6, 500 



National Zoological Park 100, 000 



International Catalogue of Scientific Literature 7, 500 



Total 589,500 



In addition to the aboA^e specific amounts to be disbursed by the 

 Institution there was included under the general appropriation for 

 printing and binding an allotment of $76,200 to cover the cost of 

 printing and binding the Smithsonian annual report, and reports 

 and miscellaneous printing for the Government branches of the 

 Institution. 



THE FREER ART GALLERY. 



One of the most important events since the foundation of the In- 

 stitution was consummated in December last. In my last report it was 

 mentioned that Mr. Charles L. Freer was considering the question 

 of erecting a suitable building for the permanent preservation of 

 the splendid collection of objects of art which he presented to the 

 Institution in 1906 and has since augmented by many further gifts. 

 It is exceedingly gratifying here to record the gift by Mr. Freer of 

 $1,000,000 in cash for the immediate erection of a building and 

 that the site and preliminary plans have been agreed upon, so that 

 the actual construction work will soon begin. The building will be 

 of granite and located at the southwest corner of the Smithsonian 

 reservation at Twelfth and B Streets. 



The munificent donation by Mr. Freer of his collection and pro- 

 vision for its preservation is unsurpassed in this country, and is one 

 of the most notable gifts of its character in the world's history. 



Mr. Freer describes his collection as follows: 



These several collections include specimens of very widely separated periods 

 of artistic development, beginning before the birth of Christ and ending to-day. 

 No attempt has been made to secure specimens from unsympathetic sources, my 

 collecting having been confined to American and Asiatic schools. My great 



