FIFTIETH CONGRESS, 1887-1889. 1147 
Mr. W. B. Axuison. I can not state them in detail. There are of 
course a great number of items. The Smithsonian Institution has 
charge of the entire exchange of our public documents for the public 
documents of other countries. Of course this includes all services in 
connection with the exchanges. 
Mr. Reacan. What I was trying to get at was what part of this 
appropriation would be for salaries and what part would be for the 
exchange of public documents and books. 
Mr. Auuison. I have a memorandum here which discloses the way 
this money is to be spent: 
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES. 
Present system established by act of Congress approved March 2, 1867, and sub- 
sequent legislation. Fifty copies of all Government publications put at disposal of 
Committee on Library for international exchange. 
Uniform system agreed upon at international geographical conference, Paris, 1875, 
and modified by conferences for this particular purpose at Brussels in 1880, 1883, and 
1886. Treaty now before Senate is result of these conferences. There is now no 
completed treaty obligation. England, Germany, and France have declined to 
ratify the treaty and were not represented at the last conference. 
The Smithsonian is not concerned with the system otherwise than as the agent of 
the Government, but has paid a material part of the cost annually from its pri- 
vate fund. 
As the office is now organized, the annual expenditure is at the following rates: 
STC Ee MetePee TONE coho ee ta sexe ne coke tee ou tet ang aa Sne $11, 580. 00 
EE RE oOo oii aaa one ane tera a bn auwclnme gh oeeeae 1, 500. 00 
Sema ateieiin, cle. (estimated) .. 222.2-2-221-..5-4205- 0h 22 oot oe: 3, 000. 00 
16, 080. 00 
This means ‘‘slow’’ freight, and for the most part gratuitous on the ocean. The 
average time for transmission of a parcel to western Europe is now thirty-six days. 
By ordinary fast freight it could be reduced to sixteen days. Extraordinary delays 
occur frequently because of the fact that the freight is carried gratuitously. Boxes 
shipped from Rome, for example, in December last were held in Naples three 
months by the steamship line because its steamer space was all filled by paying 
freight. The same thing has occurred frequently on this side of the ocean. 
As at present organized, the Smithsonian sends out about one-third of the United 
States Government publications and receives from foreign governments less than one- 
tenth of their official publications. Very much is thus lost which is of great interest 
and value to our Government offices. 
Many of the Executive Departments which wish to use the exchange system are 
obliged to adopt other measures, at considerably increased cost. Some of them have 
special appropriations to defray part of the cost of special transmissions by the 
Smithsonian. 
The sum estimated for, $27,050, is the result of careful calculation, based upon a 
comparison of the details of the business for several years back. It is the Secretary’s 
opinion that it will far more than repay itself by an increased efficiency in the 
service and by the number of valuable works which it will bring to Congress and 
the Executive Departments of the Government. 
(Instance Hydrographic Office, Nautical Almanac, Naval Observatory, and Signal 
Office; also Bureaus of Education and of Statistics.) 
