REPORT OF THE ACTING SECRETARY. 7 



not much more than $30,000 per annum. Nevertheless all these 

 activities were undertaken and more not named were added, and 

 by great economy and through the then larger purchasing power 

 of money they were carried on with credit. Moreover, in view of 

 the absence of many national scientific institutions which have since 

 grown up, the Smithsonian, through its Secretary, was for a long 

 period the general adviser of the Government in scientific matters. 

 He served on the Light-House Board; he was called upon to make 

 experiments to improve the acoustic properties of the Capitol; in 

 times of war he advised in ordnance matters, whilst at different 

 periods the several secretaries took up such large questions as the 

 study of meteorology and the making of meteorological observations 

 all over the United States, finally resulting in the formation of the 

 United States Weather Bureau; the artificial propagation of food 

 fishes and the investigation of problems relating to ichthyology in 

 their bearing upon the fisheries, resulting in the establishment of the 

 Bureau of P^isheries; or so large a problem as the practical use for 

 the purposes of war of the principle discovered in connection with 

 the maintenance and flight of heavy bodies through the air. 



As Congress and the people generally realized that the programme 

 of operations was vastly larger than was commensurate with the 

 income from the fund, they endowed this ward of the Government 

 by annual budgets and thus made what was originally a compara- 

 tively small museum a great museum of the nation; provided for 

 the system of exchanges of Government and scientific publications 

 between this country and other countries; maintained ethnological 

 and archeological work on a considerable scale; established a splen- 

 did home for the custody of living animals, at once serving for the 

 recreation and instruction of the people and affording valuable ma- 

 terial for students; and within the past year has assisted in a vast 

 scheme of cooperative international bibliographical work, which had 

 its inception in a suggestion made by the first Secretary in 1855. In 

 this and in other ways has the Government aided in carrying out 

 the conditions which it imposed upon the Smithson bequest, coming 

 more and more to the help of the Institution, and making its own 

 fund freer for that portion of its programme of work which has to 

 do with research and publication and the general diffusion of 

 knowledge. 



By a gradual and wise development of the system of administra- 

 tion the four or five activities of the Institution have been put into 

 separate groups, each w^th a responsible head answerable to the Sec- 

 retary, which renders possible the greatest freedom of action and 

 judgment consistent with an orderly and harmonious organization. 

 Thus, at the end of sixty years, it may be said with truth Ihat llie 



