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UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 
ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY 
NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM 
NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK 
VIA AIR MAIL 
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 
J\/rs/thtytojt 2J, f). C. 
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NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 
NATIONAL COLLECTION OF FINE ARTS 
FREER GALLERY OF ART 
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE SERVICE 
CANAL ZONE BIOLOGICAL AREA 
March 19, 1951 
Dr. A. Wetmore 
c/o Mr. James Zetek 
Drawer C 
Balboa, Canal Zone 
Dear Dr. Wetmore: 
Acknowledgment is made of your letter of March 11 . I see that 
you are apparently well-settled and the hunting is good. 
As regards the Social Security matter, it was agreed by the 
Executive Committee acting as individuals that it would be unwise 
to have a conference with Internal Revenue since this would simply 
throw the whole matter back to Civil Service where we would have 
nothing to gain. The idea of signing contracts with employees was 
given up on two counts. In the first place, it is too late to change 
over and in view of the fact that the matter might have been brought 
up by some individuals it would have been quite embarrassing to have 
appointment letters and —contracts in the file with the contracts tak¬ 
ing effect after the law had been amended. The second reason for 
forgetting contracts, and a compelling one is that the contract in 
itself is of small value. The important point is the relationship 
between employer and employee and this point alone .w^re it examined 
into would have made it necessary to request jbivil/ • SSrvlce ^status 
for our temporaries. On the vote of the employees the score was ten 
out of twelve favoring Social Security. The two dissenters being 
Henry and Knight. Since these men have voted against it they do not 
come under it but in the future every temporary will be required to 
come under Social Security. Messrs. Fleming and Bush have approved 
for the Executive Committee and I have heard that Mr. Cannon signed 
and his vote is evidently in the mail. We will, therefore, close 
the matter shortly; 
Mr. Fleming had an appointment with the Chancellor on Friday 
and insisted that I go with him. The question involved was the con¬ 
tinuance of your term as Secretary. After quite a bit of discussion 
the Chancellor finally decided that in order to be certain the matter 
