46 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1926 
operation for 17 years. The boilers were inspected by the Steamboat 
Inspection Service of the United States and found to be in good 
condition. The elevators have been regularly inspected by the build- 
ino inspector of the District of Columbia and certain additional 
safeguards installed to protect passengers as fully as possible. The 
total electric current produced amounted to 493,295 kilowatt-hours, 
manufactured at a cost of 2.82 cents per kilowatt including labor, 
material, interest, and depreciation on the plant. 
The ice plant produced 344.1 tons of ice at a cost of $3.51 per ton. 
The increased cost is due to a new compressor installed during the 
year and some other changes in the plant that will lead to increased 
efficiency and will reduce the expense of operation for succeeding 
periods. 
In the shops there were made during the year 11 exhibition cases 
and 117 storage cases and other pieces of laboratory furniture. In 
addition, 40 pieces of storage, laboratory, and office furniture were 
acquired by purchase. 
MEETINGS AND RECEPTIONS 
The lecture rooms and auditorium of the National Museum were 
used for 110 meetings covering a wide range of activities. 
Governmental agencies using the lecture and meeting rooms in- 
cluded the United States Tariff Commission for an exhibition of 
motion pictures depicting methods employed in shipping living 
birds, the Extension Service of the United States Department of 
Agriculture for an exhibition of motion pictures, and the Federal 
Horticultural Board for various hearings, particularly with regard 
to quarantine regulations for certain bulbs. Members of the Forest 
Service held a series of meetings during the year dealing with various 
phases of their work. 
Scientific societies that met regularly in the meeting room included 
the Entomological Society of Washington, the Society for Philo- 
sophical Inquiry, the Anthropological Society of Washington, and 
the American Horticultural Society. Meetings were held also by the 
National Parks Association, the Federation of Music Clubs of the 
District of Columbia, the Vivarium Society, the Wild Flower Preser- 
vation Society, the Audubon Society of the District of Columbia, 
the Art and Archaeology League of Washington, the Washington 
Society of Engineers, the National Soy-bean Growers’ Association, 
and by the Biological Society in cooperation with the Audubon 
Society. 
The School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University conducted 
a series of 15 lectures on the American Constitution and ideals as 
compared with the Communist ideals manifested in Bolshevism. 
The second national spelling bee, organized by the Courier-Journal, 
