198 Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences 



permanence i? our fluctuating membership list of about three hun- 

 dred and the funds represented by our membership dues, amount- 

 ing to less than $900 per annum. Under such conditions it is 

 somewhat remarkable that the city should have been willing to 

 give us the support that it has done, and it is of the utmost 

 importance that every efifort be made to increase our membership 

 list and, possibly, to consider the advisability of increasing our 

 dues, in order to raise a larger general fund each year, to expend 

 in developing the museum, in addition to augmenting our endow- 

 ment fund. 



relation between the city and the association 



The city does not support or assist in supporting any of the 

 activities of the Association except such as are connected with 

 the museum as a public educational institution. It deals only with 

 the Association as representing the museum. Applications for 

 appropriations are made in the name of the Association, but 

 strictly for the support and maintenance of the museum, and the 

 exact purposes for which every dollar is to be expended must be 

 carefully specified in the application and receive the approval of 

 the proper municipal authorities. 



As previously stated, city money cannot be used for the pur- 

 chase of books or specimens, or other property of the Association, 

 nor can it be used for the insurance of books, specimens, and 

 other property of the Association; for the printing of the Pro- 

 ceedings or the Bulletin ; for printing, postage, clerical work 

 and other expenses incurred in connection with meetings of the 

 Association and its sections; for the payment of fees for lec- 

 turers; or for the maintenance and development of the Britton 

 Cottage, etc. 



This is an important fact which cannot be too clearly stated. 

 We have suffered from a popular misunderstanding on this point 

 and from our own members not being properly informed on it. 

 Some time ago one of our members wrote an ill-advised com- 

 munication, which was published in one of our local papers, con- 

 taining the erroneous statement that the Association, " being sup- 

 ported by the city," was, therefore, not under the necessity of ap- 



