REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 75 



of the Smithsonian Institution," $1,363.54* were repaid to the Institution by Govern- 

 ment Departments to which specific appropriations had been granted for this pur- 

 pose, leaving a deficit of $788.56, which was paid from the Smithsonian fund. 



Although all of the Government bureaus that have occasion to transmit theii 

 publications through the Institution are not provided with funds available for de- 

 fraying the cost of the service, it seems to have been the intention of Congress that 

 its specific appropriation for the exchange business should be supplemented by special 

 appropriations to some of the bureaus and departments of the Government, so that 

 the charge of 5 cents per pound weight imposed by the regents in 1878 might be met 

 by them. The average amount annually repaid to the Institution in this way during 

 the past eleven years has been about $1,400. 



Dr. Kidder strongly recommended, and I beg to renew his recommendation, that 

 this procedure, for which sufficient reasons existed at the time of its adoption, may 

 now be discontinued as no longer advantageous or economical. By the present 

 system the cost of the service is actually larger than appears in the specific appro- 

 priations for exchanges, and, as the special appropriations to the different Depart- 

 ments vary from year to year and are often omitted altogether, a burden which can 

 not be accurately foreseen, is imposed upon the Smithsonian fund. 



In order to effect the change contemplated — that is, to collect in a single item the 

 entire appropriation for international exchanges, and at the same time to make 

 allowance for a proper compensation to the ocean steam-ship companies for freight, 

 and to bring the schedule of salaries more nearly up to the standard established for 

 the classified service of the Government — an estimate of $27,500 was submitted for 

 the fiscal year 1889-'90. 



This sum would then have been divided somewhat as follows : 



Salaries $16,600 



Transportation : 



From Washington to seaboard $2, 280 



Ocean freight 5, 000 



From point of debarkation to destination 1,750 



9, 030 



Boxes 950 



Incidentals 920 



Total $27,500 



The amount finally appropriated was $15,000, no increase having been granted. 



CORRESPONDENTS. 



The number of correspondents has been increased during the year by 2,157, making 

 the total number now upon our books 13,130, classified as follows : 





Foreign. 



Domestic. 



Societies and institutions 



4,466 

 4,699 



1 355 



Individuals -. 



2 610 







*The items in the report of the executive committee— $2,329.99 under the head of 

 expenditures for exchanges, and $2,189.52 repayments — include receipts and expendi- 

 tures made on account of the preceding fiscal year. 



