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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION   672
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MADE BY BAKER-VAWTER CO.
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for the United States National Museum is exhausted many months before the close of each year, thereby delaying the publication of the results of important work of the members of the staff. In the Bureau of American Ethnology many ethnological manuscripts have accumulated on account of the inadequate allotment for printing even under the existing appropriation. Unless this $15,000 cut is restored to the appropriation it will result in a further delay in the publication of results of scientific researches not only of importance from a scientific standpoint, but of great value and interest to the public as well, and will thus add further discouragement to the members of the staff. As an example of this delay, the Museum was unable to print for over a year after the complete manuscript was ready for the printer a bulletin on "The Flora of Utah and Nevada" which was needed for use in investigations by other branches of the Government service.

The item next in importance to the two mentioned is that of $12,500 for the construction of a gallery for the Division of Plants, which was submitted in the preliminary estimates for next year to the Budget, but was eliminated by that Bureau, and hence is not in the estimates as a transmitted to this Congress. The plan collection already contains over 1,100,000 specimens, and, notwithstanding the constant distribution of duplicates, the hall is so overcrowded with cases that additional space is absolutely essential. This item has been submitted in the preliminary estimates for several years, but has failed to receive the approval of the Budget Bureau, each year adding to the congestion until it has now reached a point where relief is imperative.

In addition to the cutting down of appropriations, the Bureau of the Budget has fixed a salary limitation on each of them (besides that metioned for the Astrophysical Observatory) which barely covers the existing personnel.  The makes it impossible to add even a single employee to any roll, notwithstanding any urgent need that might arise therefore during the year. [[initials]] CDW [[/initials]]