a ee 
EEL? Gr et 
Ro eel A aes 1 
i SY et Bees ter ear ae 
oo? =~ 
—S 
FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS, 1889-1891. 1823 
and not only the collections and the number of visitors, but almost all other neces- 
sary expenses have increased wholly out of proportion to the appropriations made 
by Congress. 
Within the last two years the Museum has begun to feel the effects of a struggle to 
carry on the maintenance and care of the Government collection with inadequate 
means. The salaries have always been less than in the Executive Departments, but 
the Museum is now constantly losing the most efficient of its clerks and preparators 
on account of the low rate of pay. - 
The appropriations have never been sufficient for the increase of the collection by 
purchase, so that these have been formed almost wholly by gift; but the Museum, 
which has no longer adequate means to care for those it has or to take care of more, 
now finds that the rate of increase is plainly lessening. 
That the Museum may not only hold the place already attained, but may keep 
pace with the scientific work of the Govérnment in general, and may maintain a posi- 
tion not discreditable in comparison with similar establishments in other national 
capitals, an appropriation of $180,000 is required. 
(Also see letter of Secretary of Smithsonian Institution to Senate Committee on 
Appropriations, June 12, 1890, Fifty-first Congress, first session. Report No. 1466, 
page 5.) 
To meet customs duties on glass, tin, and other dutiable articles and 
supplies imported for the National Museum, $3,000. 
Norr.—Rendered necessary under the provisions of the act of October 1, 1890, ‘‘ to 
reduce the revenue,”’ etc. Public No. 330. 
- For printing labels and blanks, and for the bulletins and annual vol- 
umes of the proceedings of the National Museum, $18,000; binding, 
$1,000. 
Nore.—It is not intended to increase the number of annual issues of the bulletins 
and proceedings of the Museum, but to print a larger edition of each, in order to 
furnish copies to the principal educational institutions and libraries in the country, 
the editions now printed being inadequate to supply half the demand. 
The Museum has received no appropriation for binding for a period of three. years. 
It is now absolutely necessary that many books in constant use in the library should 
be bound in order to prevent their destruction. 
For cases, furniture, fixtures, and appliances required for the exhi- 
bition and safe-keeping of the collections of the National Museum, 
including salaries or compensation of all necessary employees, $30,000. 
Norr.—The decrease of $5,000 in the appropriation of this year for furniture and 
fixtures has necessitated a curtailment of expenses in the building of cases, which, 
since the Museum exhibits are constantly increasing in number, has compelled the 
leaving of many perishable objects of value exposed in the halls, a course which 
results in deterioration from dust and from the inevitable handling of curious sight- 
seers. . 
Every year the Museum is offered desirable private collections as gifts, or as long- 
time deposits, on condition that they be properly installed in suitable cases. It is 
from this source that many important recent additions to the national collections 
have been made, and in a large number of instances articles thus placed in the 
custody of the Museum, if installed to the satisfaction of the depositors, are never 
removed. 
In order to provide properly for the objects already in the Museum, as well as for 
the steady growth of the collections, an appropriation of $30,000 is needed. 
