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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 1359

ESTIMATES FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1953

The Secretary then brought before the meeting the present status of the estimates for appropriations for the next fiscal year, with the statement that, as these figures stood at present the situation of the Institution was definitely serious. 

Appropriated for 1952

Salaries and expenses $2,391,200

Increased pay act 
Budget estimate 162,000
Approved by House 145,800
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Loss 16,200   145,800
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Total for 1952  2,537,000

Budget estimate for 1953 2,565,000

Amount passed by House 2,274,000
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Reduction 291,000

The House reduction is distributed as follows: 
Personnel 173,800

The reduction of $173,800 is the amount required for the increased pay act. Since 1949 we have had to reduce employees from 532 to 499. To meet the cut proposed here would require a further reduction of 50 positions bringing us to 449. 

The Jensen amendment approved by the House would progressively reduce positions an additional 10% of 45 positions, making the allowable personnel only 404 employees. 

The staff at present is insufficient for reasonable effectiveness. The proposed resolution will endanger our collections, valued at approximately a billion dollars, seriously curtail our services to the public, including progressive closing of public exhibition halls, and have a most serious adverse effect on our scientific program. 

Our employees are distributed among 56 small operating units with working groups of 2 to 8 persons. There is therefore little flexibility in shifting the work load. Reduction can be made only by cutting off labor and staff essential to our minimum necessities, and will act completely to the detriment of the public interest. 

Our available service in terms of man hours per week stood at 20,262 in 1934 and remains at 19,960 in 1952. This at present is insufficient for our needs. The reduction required by present action of the House would cut this to 16,160 hours. 

A.W.