132 PROCEEDINGS S. I. ASS'n ARTS AND SCIENCES. [VoL. I 



in his hands to furnish the room without a special appropriation. 

 After a lapse of some time it appeared that this impression was not 

 well founded and a second application was made to the Board of Esti- 

 mate and Apportionment for an appropriation of $4180 to cover the 

 expense of providing- show cases and otherwise furnishing the room to 

 receive the collection of the Association. After a number of confer- 

 ences with the Comptroller of the City of New York, it developed that 

 the Board would hardly grant these applications together, and so on 

 behalf of the Association it was proposed that if the City would supply 

 the furniture for the room, including the cases and the expense of in- 

 stalation amounting to $4180, together with heat, light, and janitor's 

 service, the Association would provide the expense of caring for the 

 collection and library. This proposition was pronounced by the 

 Comptroller to be entirely acceptable to him and would receive his 

 cordial endorsement before the Board. I, thereupon, invoked the 

 special cooperation of the Borough President in the matter and received 

 from him a promise to endeavor to bring the matter to a successful 

 termination at the earliest practicable day. 



I had hoped to be able to report to you at this meeting the favorable 

 action of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment in the premises, 

 but owing to the illness of the official charged with the duty of pre- 

 paring the Comptroller's report to the Board of Estimate and Appor- 

 tionment, the matter has not yet reached that body for its final action. 



If the municipal authorities provide for the Association quarters 

 well furnished to receive our collection and library, upon condition 

 that we supply curatorial service foi opening and maintaining a public 

 museum, we must see to it that the condition is promptly accepted and 

 faithfully complied with. This involves the raising of adequate funds, 

 which may be accomplished by increasing our membership or raising 

 the annual dues or by appeals to public spirited citizens for subscrip- 

 tions, or by combining two or all of these methods. The results will 

 determine not so much the question whether we will have a museum, 

 for I regard that as certain, but whether we will at an early day have 

 a museum of which we shall be proud. 



We need not expect too much at the start, and we certainly should 

 not undertake too much. We should begin conservatively, but reso- 

 lutely. We should lay the foundation well and build up well. I do 

 not urge you to be over-zealous, but calmly persistent in accomplish- 

 ing what we have set our hand to. And I urge you to d(» this because 

 it is right and helpful to the community, in which we live and to which 



