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Smithsonian Institution   
699
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MADE BY BAKER-VAWTER CO. 
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administration which are indispensable to the public, and which Congress supports because of public demand. Advantages to both the Government and the Institution arise from Smithsonian administration of them. The only disadvantage arises from the fact that owing to its immense domestic service, the public has come to regard the Smithsonian as a Government bureau, supported by public funds. Thus it has not received the additional endowment which its general needs require.

The Institution itself ought to receive sufficient endowment to enable it to deal broadly with fundamental research and publication irrespective of obvious utilities; to grasp opportunities when they arise; to employ experts as needed; to pension superannuated employees and to increase its force and its scale of compensation. Its present condition is one of chronic penury. Endowment funds, not annual grants, are needed for the purposes described, because annual grants are uncertain, inelastic to meet opportunities as they arise, and rigidly restricted in expenditure in ways fatal to research needs.

FREER INHERITANCE TAX.

Mr. Delano made a statement in connection with the attempt to procure a refund of a tax of $475,000 upon the Freer Estate. After full discussion, the following resolution was adopted:-

RESOLVED; That the matter of the refund of money paid by the Freer executors to the State of Michigan as an inheritance tax, be referred to Mr. Delano, with the request that he visit Detroit and make an investigation into all the circumstances, with the view to a possible appeal to the Michigan Legislature by the Board of Regents for the refund of the amount in question.

HACHENBERG WILL.

The Acting Secretary informed the Board that the Institution had been left, under the Will of Dr. George P. Hachenberg, of Austin, Texas, a

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