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^[[17]]

IT WILL HOWEVER BE READILY UNDERSTOOD THAT THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION WILL BE ENTIRELY INADEQUATE TO ACCOMMODATE THIS COLLECTION ON ITS RETURN FROM PHILADELPHIA, ESPECIALLY AS EVEN NOW IT IS OVERCROWDED AND PACKED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM WITH THOUSANDS OF BOXES, FOR THE PROPER EXHIBITION OF THE CONTENTS OF WHICH THERE IS NO SPACE OR OPPORTUNITY AT THE PRESENT TIME. IT IS TO BE HOPED THAT ACTION AT AN EARLY DAY WILL BE TAKEN BY CONGRESS, LOOKING TOWARDS A PROPER PROVISION FOR THIS EMERGENCY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS REALIZED THAT THE MATERIALS ARE THUS AVAILABLE FOR A NATIONAL MUSEUM, THAT SHALL BE EQUAL IN ITS EXTENT AND COMPLETENESS AND IN ITS EDUCATIONAL ADVANTAGES, TO THAT OF ANY NATION IN THE WORLD.

THE COLLECTIONS MADE DIRECTLY THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS WILL ALSO BE VERY LARGELY SUPPLEMENTED BY THE DONATION OF SERIES OF AMERICAN AND FOREIGN EXHIBITORS, A VERY LARGE PROPORTION OF WHICH WILL BE PLACED AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. IT HAS BEEN ALREADY ANNOUNCED THAT THE KHEDIVE OF EGYPT WILL PRESENT TO THE UNITED STATES THE ENTIRE COLLECTION OF EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES, FILLING ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY BOXES TO BE DISPLAYED BY HIM AT PHILADELPHIA; THAT SWEDEN WILL CONTRIBUTE ITS MINERAL EXHBIIT; NORWAY THAT OF ITS FISHERIES, ETC.

ANOTHER SUBEJCT WHICH WILL REQUIRE EARLY CONSIDERATION, WILL BE THE BEST MODE OF DISTRIBUTING THE DUPLICATE SPECIMENS OF WHICH VAST NUMBERS WILL BE ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THE EXHIBITION AND IT IS PROBABLE THAT AN APPROPRIATION BY CONGRESS WILL BE NEEDED FOR THE ARRANGEMENT, LABELING PACKING AND BOXING THESE SPECIMENS. SEVERAL HUNDRED SETS OF THESE OBJECTS CAN BE MADE UP FOR THE PRINCIPAL EDUCATIONAL, LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

IT MAY BE REMEMBERED THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO CONGRESS APPROPRIATED $10,000 FOR THE EXPENSES OF DISTRIBUTING THE DUPLICATES THEN IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM; WITH THE PROVISO THAT THE FREIGHT BE PAID BY THE RECIPIENTS. UNDER THIS ENACTMENT NEARLY A QUARTER OF A MILLION OF LABELLED SPECIMENS WERE SUPPLIED TO SEVERAL HUNDRED INSTITUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, AND HAVE DOUBTLESS ANSWERED AN EXCELLENT PURPOSE IN FURNISHING THE MEANS OF INSTRUCTION. THE SURPLUS AVAILABLE FOR SUCH A DISTRIBUTION AT THE CLOSE OF THE ^[[INTERNATIONAL]] EXHIBITION EVEN AFTER ALL EXCHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE WILL BE VERY MUCH GREATER THAN ON THE OCCASION REFERED TO.

^[[Respectfully yours
Spenser F Baird
Representative of the Smithsonian Institution, and of the Department of Food Fisheries.]]