REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 



71 



PREPARATION OF LABELS. 



Three thousand nine hundred and twenty forms of labels have been 

 printed during the year, as shown in the following table: 



Department. 



Materia meclica 



Geology 



Foods and textiles. 



Ethnology 



Oriental antiquities 

 Porcelain collection 



No. of 

 forms. 



1,309 

 1,328 

 542 

 246 

 15G 

 120 



Department. 



Comparative anatomy 



Graphic arts 



Mammals , 



Total 



No. of 

 forms. 



104 

 79 

 76 



3,920 



BUILDINGS AND LABOR — POLICE AND PUBLIC COMFORT. 



The staff employed for police and protection has remained under the 

 charge of Henry Horan, superintendent of buildings. It consists of 

 watchmen, painters, carpenters, skilled laborers, laborers, cleaners, and 

 attendants. 



The number of watchmen is usually sixteen. They are divided into 

 "watches, by whom the Smithsonian and Museum buildings, and the 

 collections stored and exhibited therein, are guarded day and night. 



Eight or nine carpenters are generally employed, and are kept busy 

 continually in constructing cases and shelves, making frames for labels, 

 remodeling old forms of cases, putting locks on cases, making repairs 

 in the buildings, etc. 



The force of skilled laborers is, as a rule, nine or ten in number. Their 

 time is occupied in painting blocks for the exhibition of specimens, 

 painting trays, easing trays, fitting shelves, adjusting panes of glass in 

 cases and windows, and assisting the carpenters and painters in many 

 ways. 



There are only two painters constantly on the Museum roll. These, 

 with the assistance of some of the skilled laborers, perform all the work 

 of this kind required in the Museum, including the repainting of walls 

 and ceilings of rooms, staining pedestals for groups of specimens and 

 cases, i>ainting book-cases, shelving, blocks for exhibition purposes, 

 etc. 



The force of laborers consists of about twenty-four men. They are 

 kept continually busy moving specimens, arranging cases, attending to 

 the cleaning of offices, and washing the floors in the exhibition halls. 



The number of cleaners and attendants averages about eight. They 

 are constantly occupied in cleaning glass, dusting cases, of which there 

 are now more than 1,700, and sweeping. They are also expected to 

 answer, as far as practicable, the questions of visitors. 



The telephonic and telegraphic service of the Museum is under the 

 supervision of the superintendent of buildings. 



