REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 43 



in buying larger quantities, even at a cheaper rate, than when only 

 sufficient supplies for immediate use are procured. Therefore only arti- 

 cles of every-day use are now kept on hand. 



The method of procedure in issuing supplies has been changed. The 

 usage of the present time provides that the heads of departments shall 

 file a requisition, as formerly, for whatever may be required in his 

 work. If the articles are of a kind usually kept in stock, this requisi- 

 tion is presented to the property clerk, who attends to it and makes 

 proper entries in his books. If the articles are not in stock, the requi- 

 sition is sent to the chief clerk of the Museum, who mails proposals to 

 established firms or manufacturers for the articles required. Upon the 

 return of the proposals, the prices are inserted on the original requisi- 

 tion and it is sent to the Assistant Secretary for action. If the expendi. 

 ture be authorized, the requisition is approved and returned to the 

 chief clerk of the Museum, who makes out an order for the articles, 

 sending also a notification to the property clerk for his guidance. The 

 firm is required to deliver the articles, with a memorandum bill, to the 

 registrar, who makes an entry of them in his books and turns the articles 

 over to the property clerk. This officer delivers them to the person 

 making the requisition, at the same time obtaining his receipt. This 

 form is filed by the property clerk in his office. Itemized bills, giving 

 the number of the orders, are required to be presented in duplicate 

 each month. These bills are examined by the property clerk, and if 

 found to correspond to the notification in regard to quantity and price 

 are certified to by him. The property clerk retains one of the certified 

 bills and sends the other to the chief clerk of the Museum, who com- 

 pares it with the stubs in the order-book. If it is found to correspond 

 to the orders, it is referred to the Assistant Secretary, who directs that 

 it be paid. The bill is then sent to the chief clerk of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, to be transferred to official forms. The voucher passes 

 through the same hands as did the original bill and undergoes the same 

 scrutiny and is ready for payment when it receives the approval of the 

 Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Should a curator desire to make the selection of the articles himself, 

 as scientific apparatus, for instance, a special form giving him that 

 permission is furnished. This form, which states that the charges are 

 just and reasonable, the curator signs, after obtaining tke articles, and 

 transmits with the bill to the property clerk, as in the case just men- 

 tioned. Proper entries are made in the books, so that at any time it is 

 easy to ascertain the cost of articles and the amount expended for any 

 department. It will be seen that, with so many checks and counter- 

 checks, the Museum interests are in every particular safely guarded, 

 and what may appear cumbersome routine after all greatly facilitates 

 the obtaining of supplies, accounting for the same, as well as the set- 

 tlement of bills. 



All the cases, ^urniture, etc., belonging to the Museum are stamped 



