TWENTIETH ANNUAL REPORT 91 



completed, it was necessary to return him to the regular main- 

 tenance force, which reduced the amount available for supplies 

 of all kinds, by the amount of his salary. It was a very difficult 

 problem to provide for our needs throughout the year without a 

 deficit, but by strict economy we were able to accomplish it. 



The responsibilities of the Chief Clerk were greatly in- 

 creased during several weeks' absence of the Director in the 

 west on a lecture tour in the interests of game protection. 



Audit ayid Accounts. — In addition to the audit of the So- 

 ciety's books for the year, certified statements of which appear 

 elsewhere in this report, the privilege accounts were given the 

 usual check by the auditors, and another investigation was made 

 covering the receipt of supplies for both the maintenance and 

 privilege departments. In this connection, several changes were 

 suggested to and approved by the Auditing Committee, which 

 have been put into effect. An inventory of equipment in all 

 sections of the privileges is now being made, which will be re- 

 vised and corrected annually hereafter, the work being done 

 at intervals throughout the year when other duties of the Stock 

 Accountant will permit. 



New funds created in 1915 were confined to the single ac- 

 count to be known as the Tropical Research Fund. Some changes 

 in the methods of approval and payment of bills were made just 

 before the close of the year in order to provide for the change 

 in the Treasurer's office by which Mr. R. L. Cerero was made 

 Bursar, and the Farmers' Loan and Trust Company, Assistant 

 Treasurer, taking eff'ect immediately after the first of the year. 



Privileges. — As a whole, the showing made during the year 

 just closed has been the most unsatisfactory in some years. This 

 was due to a number of causes. Practically all expenditures 

 made in the Park are in the nature of luxuries, and therefore 

 they are the first to be curtailed under conditions such as pre- 

 vailed during the greater part of 1915. While the actual de- 

 crease in attendance over the previous year was only 13 per- 

 cent, unfortunately the reduced attendance when analyzed by 

 months and Sundays shows an actual gain over the preceding 

 year in the first three and last months of the year, increasing 

 the ratio of decrease in the five months, May to September, inclu- 

 sive, which make up the season in which the bulk of the privi- 

 lege business is done, to nearly 24 per cent. 



