REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 3 



After the reports of the executive and permanent coliimittees, pre- 

 sented by their chairman, Senator Henderson, had been adopted, the 

 Secretar}^ stated that, owing to other business which was to come 

 before the meeting, he would abridge his usual statement. He then 

 spoke briefly of the National Museum, of the cooperation of the State, 

 War, and Navy Departments for increasing the collections of the 

 National Zoological Park, of the exemption b}^ the President from the 

 rules of the civil service of the Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, in charge of the National Museum, and one private secre- 

 tary or confidential clerk to the Secretary of the Institution, as well as 

 the waiving of competitive examinations for positions on the scientific 

 staff, and of other matters. He further referred to the fact that he 

 was continuing, with the sanction of the Regents, some experiments 

 for the Board of Ordnance and Fortification which were likely to take 

 up considerable time, and he desired to repeat that the Secretary's 

 time, which was parti}' given in his private hours, was all without 

 charge to the War Department. 



The Secretary added that he had intended to bring before the Board 

 specific statements as to the position of the Smithsonian fund relative 

 to those of other institutions of learning, and to seek their instruction 

 as to the best means of increasing it. It was the most important sub- 

 ject, perhaps, that could be brought to their consideration, but in 

 view of the business immediately before them he deferred enlarging 

 upon it. 



The special committee, composed of the Hon. J. B. Henderson, Dr. 

 William L. Wilson, Prof. A. Graham Bell, Dr. J. B. Angell, and the 

 Hon. R. R. Hitt, which had been appointed by the Chancellor in 

 accordance with a resolution passed at the previous meeting to con- 

 sider the proposal submitted by the Association of Agricultural Col- 

 leges and Experiment Stations for the establishment of a Bureau of 

 Graduate Study under the Smithsonian Institution, and all kindred 

 questions, presented a report which dealt comprehensively with the 

 subject (which will be found in the Report of the Regents to Congress), 

 and the committee was discharged. 



The Board then adjourned. 



APPOINTMENT OF REGENTS. 



The Hon. Richard Olney, of Massachusetts, was appointed a Regent 

 to succeed Dr. Johnston, by joint resolution of Congress appi'oved by 

 the President on January 24, 1900, and Dr. Andrew D. White, of New 

 York, was reappointed a Regent by joint resolution of Congress 

 approved June 2, 1000. 



As organized at the end of the fiscal year, the Board of Regents 

 consisted of the following members: 



The Hon. M. W. Fuller, Chief Justice of the United States, Chan- 

 cellor; Senator William P. Frye, President pro tempore of the Sen- 



