May 4, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



697 



dent, by and with the advice and consent of 

 the Senate. He shall have the general super- 

 vision of the bureau, its equipment, and the 

 exercise of its functions. He shall make an 

 annual report to the Secretary of the Treasury, 

 including an abstract of the work done during 

 the year, and a financial statement. He may 

 issue, when necessary, bulletins for public dis- 

 tribution, containing such information as may 

 be of value to the public or facilitate the bureau 

 in the exercise of its functions. 



The officers and employees provided for by 

 this act, except the director, shall be appointed 

 by the Secretary of the Treasury, at such time as 

 their respective services may become necessary. 



The following sums of money are hereby ap- 

 propriated : For the payment of salaries pro- 

 vided for by this act, the sum of thirty-four 

 thousand nine hundred dollars, or so much 

 thereof as may be necessary ; for the erection 

 of a suitable laboratory, of fireproof construc- 

 tion, for the use and occupation of said bureau, 

 including all permanent fixtures, such as plumb- 

 ing, piping, wiring, heating, lighting, and ven- 

 tilation, the sum of two hundred and fifty thou- 

 sand dollars ; for equipment of said laboratory, 

 the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ; for a 

 site for said laboratory, to be approved by the 

 visiting committee hereinafter provided for and 

 purchased by the Secretary of the Treasury, 

 the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, or so 

 much thereof as may be necessary ; for the 

 payment of the general expenses of said bureau, 

 including books and periodicals, furniture, 

 office expenses, stationery and printing, heat- 

 ing and lighting, expenses of the visiting com- 

 mittee, and contingencies of all kinds, the sum 

 of ten thousand dollars, or so much thereof as 

 may be necessary, to be expended under the 

 supervision of the Secretary of the Treasury. 



For all comparisons, calibrations, tests, or 

 investigations, except those performed for the 

 Government of the United States or State 

 governments within the United States, a reason- 

 able fee shall be charged, according to a schedule 

 submitted by the director and approved by the 

 Secretary of the Treasury. 



The Secretary of the Treasury shall from 

 time to time make regulations regarding the 

 payment of fees, the limits of tolerance to be 



attained in standards submitted for verification, 

 the sealing of standards, the disbursement and re- 

 ceipt of moneys, and such other matters as he may 

 deem necessary for carrying this act into effect. 



There shall be a visiting committee of five 

 members, to be appointed by the Secretary of 

 the Treasury, to consist of men prominent in 

 the various interests involved, and not in the 

 employ of the Government. This committee 

 shall visit the bureau at least once a year, and 

 report to the Secretary of the Treasury upon 

 the efficiency of its scientific work and the con- 

 dition of its equipment. The members of this 

 committee shall serve without compensation, 

 but shall be paid the actual expenses incurred 

 in attending its meetings. The period of ser- 

 vice of the members of the original committee 

 shall be so arranged that one member shall re- 

 tire each year, and the appointments thereafter 

 to be for a period of five years. Appointments 

 made to fill vacancies occurring other than in 

 the regular manner are to be made for the re- 

 mainder of the period in which the vacancy exists. 



I transmit herewith a statement of the 

 conditions which call for the establishment 

 of a national standardizing bureau, to- 

 gether vrith a few of the resolutions adopted 

 by scientific bodies and the opinion of indi- 

 viduals as to the immediate and urgent need 

 of such an institution. 



Respectfully, 



L. J. Gage, 

 Secretary. 



The Speaker of the House of Representa- 

 tives. 



conditions which necessitate the estab- 

 lishment of a national standard- 

 izing bueeau. 

 The selection and care of the original 

 standards, and the solution of problems in- 

 volved in the production, calibration, and 

 distribution of duplicates, constitute one of 

 the most important branches of scientific 

 work any government is called upon to un- 

 dertake. That such work should in all 

 cases be under the control of the General 

 Government, and that general governments 



