54 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



photographs of public buildings in Washington, a collection of auto- 

 types, and a series of specimens illustrating the composition of the 

 human body. In addition to these a'collection of models, engravings, 

 and paintings illustrative of the methods of transportation adopted by 

 the early settlers in America was selected by Mr. J. E. Watkins from 

 the exhibit of the department of transportation at the Cincinnati Ex- 

 hibition and forwarded to Marietta. 



The organization of the Government Board which was charged with 

 preparations for the Philadelphia Exhibition was so far superior to that 

 of those more recently formed, that it would seem desirable that the 

 plan in favor at that time should be followed as far as possible should 

 similar work be decided upon in connection with future exhibitions. 



I regret the growing tendency to withdraw for special expositions a 

 considerable portion of some of the most valuable parts of the collec- 

 tion. The Museum is now approaching a final arrangement in classifi- 

 cation, and the objections to this are therefore much stronger now than 

 someyears ago when the condition of the collections was more unsettled. 

 The preparation for an exposition seriously impairs the work of the 

 Museum, while considerable damage invariably results to the collec- 

 tions, and often in such a degree that it requires much time and ex- 

 pense to restore them. The managers of local expositions are no longer 

 satisfied to accept the specimens which can be most conveniently 

 spared, but are always anxious to have the most valuable and costly 

 objects. Temporary exposition buildings are never made fire-proof, 

 and the time is sure to come, if the present practice prevails, when 

 some exhibition building containing Government collections to the value 

 of hundreds of thousands of dollars will be destroyed. The experi- 

 ence of the Mexican Government in its participation at the New Orleans 

 Exposition, and of the Government of New South Wales in 1883, may 

 be cited as warnings. If, however, Congress should order in future 

 our participation in expositions, I would especially urge that provision 

 for the work be made at least six months before the date of opening. 

 In each instance in the past the notice has always been extremely 

 short, usually only a few weeks, and in one or two cases less than a 

 week. 



I am also disposed to lay stress upon the necessity of liberal appro- 

 priations, which should be made with the understanding that new ma- 

 terial may be obtained, which shall not only replace that which has been 

 lost in past exhibitions, but shall enrich the Museum collections for 

 home use and for use in future exhibition work. If this necessity is 

 not recognized, the result will be that in a few years the Museum will 

 be greatly impoverished, not only by the destruction of material, but 

 also by the dissipation of the energy of its staff, which, being applied 

 to temporary purposes in this way, is taken away from its legitimate 

 work. It would indeed seem only fair that a distraction of this kind, 

 which affects in large degree every officer and employe, should be com- 



