ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 

 1901-1902. 



To the Trustees of the Field Columbian Museum: 



I have the honor -to present the Report of the operations of th& 

 Museum during the year closing September 30, 1902: 



Income and Maintenance. — In executing the plans initiating with 

 the Special Committee on new work, approved by the Executive 

 Committee, the cost of new installation in the Museum for the past 

 year has approximated $50,000.00, the chief item being $26,000.00 for 

 new cases. This sum has been about equally divided, not in amount 

 but in importance of results, between the four Departments of the 

 institution. 



While the repairs and physical maintenance of the building by 

 the exercise of the greatest economy cost $2,000.00 less than the pro- 

 vision of the budget for these items, this should not be accepted as 

 an indication that the building is requiring less attention. The fact 

 is, on the contrary, that the structure has about reached the limits of 

 repair, using that word in its literal sense. That is to say, any 

 further expenditure in what might be called the maintenance of the 

 building would be in the line of new construction. This is especially 

 true of the exterior of the building, which, in spite of the most per- 

 sistent and ingenious efforts to conceal the real condition, is gradually 

 falling to pieces. The building is safe — in fact, much safer than it 

 was when it was taken possession of by the Museum, and I have no 

 reason to believe that disintegration threatens the security of the 

 building as a structure. But I do feel compelled to direct the atten- 

 tion of the Board of Trustees to the necessity which exists, in my 

 opinion, for seriously considering at an early date the welfare of the 

 material whose intrinsic value must be over $3,000,000.00 and whose 

 educational value is incomputable. 



Staff of the Museum. — The scientific staff of the Museum has 

 been signally augmented in its importance by the addition of Dr. S. 

 W. Williston, the well-known paleontologist, whose services have 

 been secured under an arrangement with the University of Chicago. 



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