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The packages from British correspondents are delivered to the 
• ** t 
Smithsonian agency with carriage charges to London prepaid, 
except in the case of copies of British patent specifications, 
which are to be collected from the warehouse of the British 
Patent Office* The agency keeps such a record of the packages 
passing through its hands as will enable it to answer questions 
concerning the forwarding of any particular package about which 
inquiry might be made* 
In addition to an allowance of $900 per annum for ser¬ 
vices, rent of office space for conducting the work, etc., all 
expenses connected with the distribution of publications and 
the forwarding of consignments to Washington are met by the 
Smithsonian Institution upon presentation of detailed state¬ 
ments of the amounts expended, supported by sub-vouchers. 
These statements are to be rendered at Quarterly intervals 
beginning July 1 of each fiscal year. 
Consignments of international exchanges consist, for 
the most part, of governmental, scientific and literary pub¬ 
lications sent as gifts or exchanges* Occasionally the various 
branches of the United States Government use the service to 
import purchased books for official use. Permission also Is 
sometimes granted for the transmission of packages and boxes 
of specimens. 
