102 ANNUAL EEPOET SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1915. 



The object of the catalogue is not only to publish references by 

 authors to current scientific literature, but also to supply practically 

 a digest of the subject contents of each paper by means of minutely 

 classified subject catalogues. The elaborate classification schedules 

 used render it possible to refer to all subjects treated in each j^aper 

 indexed. 



It is the duty of this Bureau of the International Catalogue to 

 analyze and classify the contents of all scientific papers published 

 in the United States. An idea of the extent of the work may be 

 gained from the fact that between 25,000 and 30,000 citations are 

 sent each year to the London central bureau for publication, the 

 subjects classified covering all branches of science. In this day of 

 specialization it is not possible for one or two individuals to have a 

 thorough Imowledge of all the sciences, and as economy of adminis- 

 tration would not warrant the employment of, say, a dozen special- 

 ists, it was the practice for a number of years to refer some of the 

 more technical papers to specialists for classification. These special- 

 ists, being employees of the various scientific branches of the Gov- 

 ernment in Washington, have, while not engaged in their official 

 duties, aided* the catalogue by furnishing the classification data 

 required. Payments averaged approximately $600 per year, divided 

 among five or six individuals. It may be said that while the 

 specialists were willing to aid in this important international under- 

 taking for a comparatively nominal compensation, the catalogue was 

 benefited to a very great extent, for each citation furnished was the 

 equivalent of a specialist's decision as to the value and application 

 of the scientific subject of each paper classified. This method of 

 compensating employees of other scientific bureaus of the Govern- 

 ment was decided on in 1905 after a conference between the disburs- 

 ing agent of the Smithsonian Institution and the then Comptroller 

 of the Treasury. 



The present Comptroller of the Treasury does not agree on this 

 subject with the former comptroller, and in a letter dated February 

 4, 1914, referring to a number of similar payments stated : 



I am of the opinion that the iDayments in question come within the prohibi- 

 tion of sections 1764 and 1765, Revised Statutes, and were not authorized by 

 law. In view of the fact that this office, in letters dated October 24, 1905, 

 and February 15, 1906, sanctioned the payments to employees of other bureaus 

 and departments, which seems to have been construed to sanction the payment 

 for both classes, no disallowance will be made in the present settlement, but 

 payments made subsequent to the date of this decision will not be allowed. 



This decision has greatly embarrassed the work of the bureau, and 

 it is hoped that Congress will so change the wording of future appro- 

 priations for the maintenance of the bureau as to authorize payments 

 of this character being made. 



