ANNUAL  REPORT  OF  THE  DIRECTOR. 
1895-1896. 
To  the  Trustees  and  Members  of  Field  Columbian  Museum: 
I  have  the  honor  to  present  a  report  of  the  operations  of  the 
Museum  for  the  year  closing  September  30,  1896.  The  system  of 
the  Museum  generally  has  been  much  improved  during  the  past  twelve 
months.  Expenditures  have  been  made  more  in  the  direction  of 
classification  than  in  re-installation;  in  working  over  old,  rather  than 
in  purchasing  new  material,  and  in  labeling,  numbering  and  cata- 
loguing specimens.  While  the  work  of  the  first  year  may  be  charac- 
terized as  rushing  and  spasmodic,  the  labor  of  the  second  year  has 
been  even  and  steady.  The  number  of  department  subordinates  and 
clerks  has  been  increased,  but  the  pay  roll  of  mechanics  has  been  cur- 
tailed. Except  in  the  lower  ranks,  there  have  been  no  changes  in  the 
personnel  of  the  staff,  and  except  as  may  be  demanded  by  the  further 
subdivisions  of  the  departments,  the  Museum  ma}'  be  said,  with 
respect  to  its  salar}7  roll,  to  be  upon  a  permanent  basis.  Much  of  the 
crudeness  of  the  original  installation  has  disappeared  during  this 
year,  producing  greater  harmony  of  method,  and  connecting  divisions 
with  closer  regard  for  an  intelligent  and  comprehensive  scheme  of 
installation.  The  great  courts  have  been  metamorphosed,  not  only 
providing  requisite  space  for  the  growing  collections  of  Archeology 
and  Zoology,  but  substituting  for  an  installation  of  the  character  of 
an  exposition,  an  arrangement  on  museum  lines.  While  the  year 
has  been  a  busy  one,  and  the  results  satisfactory,  yet  considering  the 
requirements,  constantly  growing  in  importance  and  increasing  in 
number,  the  second  year,  like  the  first,  seems  to  have  demonstrated 
simply  the  necessity  for  still  greater  effort. 
Income  and  Maintenance, — -The  Director's  "income  and  main- 
tenance "  budget  for  the  current  year,  estimated  the  income  at  $71,576, 
and  the  expenses  at  $101,220.  These  two  estimates  based  upon  those 
of  the  previous  year,  have  naturally  proven  to  have  come  nearer  the 
actual  figures  than  those  of  the  first  year,  for  which  there  was  no 
precedent.  But  as  the  present  budget  provided  for  a  sharp  increase 
in  the  departmental  force,  the  efforts  made  to  bring  the  two  sums 
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