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14
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
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The work that the architects have already done has been unusually expensive to them, because of the numerous re-studies of design and arrangement of the building to meet the conditions of location, the limitation of its cost, and the requirements of its internal arrangement, the result of which is to be a building a far superior design and adaptation for its purposes, all within the limit of cost fixed by law, than was provided for in the original design upon which the law was based. The architects have spared no expense of time, labor, travel, and scale modeling of important parts of the building in order to arrive at the result mentioned. There yet remains much work for them to do in the details for the completion, especially the interior of the building, not only in study and design, but in personal supervision of the construction.

Under the present conditions, therefore, I have the honor to recommend that authority be given me to employ the personal supervision of the architects, under the provision of the contract therefor, until the entire completion of the building, at a rate of compensation equal to 1-1/2% on the cost of the construction of the building as defined in the contract.

I enclose herewith for your convenience a copy of the contract and page XIX of the proceedings of the Board of Regents at its meeting on January 28, 1903, containing the original law for the construction of the building and the resolution of the Regents providing for the direction of the work by the Regents through me.

Yours very respectfully,
(Signed) Bernard R. Greene,
Superintendent of Construction

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