Increase in General Endowment Needed 21 



Like all other educational and municipal institutions, the total 

 cost of operating the Museum has more than doubled during the 

 last decade, the cost rising from $372,121.87 in 1910 to $990,- 

 180.84 in 1921. This increase is due not to the increase in num- 

 bers of our Scientific Staff, but to the absolutely necessary in- 

 crease in salaries, wages, cost of heating and lighting, and to the 

 increased cost of all materials that enter into the highly varied 

 activities of the institution. Thus the deficiency for the year 

 1921, amounting to $88,349.48, was not due to extravagance, or 

 to expansion of the Staff, but to the general increase in the cost 

 of operation. To meet this, $56,000 was contributed from the 

 accrued interest of the Sage Fund and $32,349.48 was contributed 

 personally by the Trustees. 



To balance City expenditures in maintenance, equipment and 

 building, the scientific or nature side is entirely cared for from 

 Trustees' Funds, which, through the Jesup, Sage, Juilliard and 

 other endowments, are steadily increasing. Thus, it is interest- 

 ing to recall that while during the past sixteen years the City 

 has expended $5,369,674.35 on maintenance, building and equip- 

 ment, the total amount contributed by the Trustees, Members 

 and friends of the Museum to the Endowment and to the enrich- 

 ment of the collections is $12,556,566.28, which is more than 

 double the amount contributed by the City. 



New General Endowment of Two Million Dollars Needed 



The recent building appropriation of $1,500,000 by the City 

 brought forth a chorus of approval from the press and from the 

 public, because it is obvious to all that a financial investment 

 whereby the people of the City receive $3.00 worth for every 

 $1.00 of taxpayers' money that is expended is an eminently ad- 

 vantageous one. In its desire to give the people of the City a 

 full educational return, the Museum has in fact gone beyond its 

 immediate resources and additional general funds must be raised. 



For the current year (1922), the estimates by the staff were 

 $121,059.56 beyond the income, and the Trustees very reluctantly 

 cut down the work of the Museum by the amount of $81,059.56 

 and have guaranteed to raise $40,000 through their personal 

 contributions and gifts of Members. This recurrent deficiency 

 can be obviated only by raising an additional general endowment 



