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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 500 
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MADE BY BAKER-VAWTER CO.
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Senator Lodge added that this action completed the work of the Committee, and that unless the Board had some further wishes in this connection, he would move that the Committee be discharged.

The motion was carried. 

INHERITANCE TAX - FREER ESTATE.

The Secretary reminded the Board that he had spoken at the Annual Meeting of the inheritance tax of over Four hundred thousand dollars which the State of Michigan was about to exact from the Freer Estate, and of the efforts that had been made to have this cancelled.  He then read the following letter which did not offer any hope that the tax would be remitted:

915 Union Trust Building,
Detroit, Michigan,
May 25,  1921.

Dear Dr. Walcott:

Replying to your wire of yesterday, I am sending you day letter as follows:-

"Awaiting action of Attorney General on schedule filed under which tax approximates $425,000.00."

The Attorney General has appointed as his adviser in inheritance tax schedules on Ex-Judge White from the interior of the State, whom I have met only once, and at that meeting he said it was his duty to secure every dollar of estate taxes that he could under the law.

It is not at all unlikely that there will be some increase over the amount above stated.

Very truly yours,

Frank J. Hecker.

NEEDS OF INSTITUTION.

The Secretary brought to the Board's attention the needs of the Institution in the way of endowments to permit the carrying on of large projects in scientific research.  The Fund was small and inadequate, and among the methods adopted to bring these needs before public-spirited persons, a small pamphlet had been prepared, which he now brought to the Board's consideration in the hope that should opportunities arise, they would direct the attention of prospective donors to the usefulness of the Institution.

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