REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 17 
Museum, very largely by Members of Congress and through them by 
their constituents, for scientific information of all kinds, for collections 
in various departments of natural history (scientifically arranged and 
named, for the use of schools and colleges), for books and services of 
many kinds, including the examination and identification of minerals, 
ores, animals, plants, etc. It is quite safe to say that during the last 
three or four years the correspondence of the Museum has quadrupled. 
Special pains have been taken not only to reply to all communica- 
tions in full and with great care, but to reply promptly, in accordance 
with the constantly increasing demands for rapid action on the part 
of the public officers in Washington. 
Salaries.—The salaries paid to employes, especially clerks, copyists,and 
skilled mechanics, are much less than those which are paid for similar 
services in the Executive Departments. Many of our most useful assist- 
ants have been drawn away from the staff and called to places in the 
Executive Departments, where, although the responsibilities are no 
greater, they receive much larger rates of pay. It is quite essential 
for the efficiency of the service that the stipend of persons of this class 
should be increased—not necessarily to the amounts current in the Execu- 
tive Departments, but to such figures as will render it possible to retain 
useful employés after they have been laboriously trained and prepared 
for their work. Within a year or two, three stenographers and type- 
writers have been drawn away from the office of the Assistant Secretary 
in charge of the Museum. 
Need of additional assistance.—It is absolutely necessary to have the 
collections taken care of as fast as they are received, and although they 
san not all be prepared for exhibition, owing to lack of assistance as well 
as want of exhibition space, yet the mere preservation of the specimens 
from destruction implies very great labor, especially in the case of 
zoological objects. Taking into consideration the fact that there are now 
about thirty-three distinct scientific departments in the Museum, to each 
of which, on an average, three persons at least are attached, it will be 
readily understood that, after all the expenses have been met for the 
preservation, care, and exhibition of the specimens, very little remains 
for maintaining the administrative force. The need of additional intel- 
ligent clerical assistance is felt in every branch of the administrative 
work. For instance, to the regwar duties of the chief clerk’s office has 
been necessarily added the management of the financial matters con- 
nected with the preparation of the exhibit for the World’s Columbian 
Exposition. In the division of correspondence the increase of work has 
been very great, and no less than 10,000 letters are now required to be 
written where 2,500 sufficed only a very few years ago. A similar in- 
crease of work might be cited in all the other administrative offices, but 
the means for providing adequate assistance are not at hand. In this 
way it has happened that the appropriations have been largely used in the 
maintenance of the scientific departments to the great disadvantage and. 
H. Mis. 334, pt. 1——2. 
