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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION   1370

FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS

The Secretary submitted a statement of the existing status of Federal Appropriations as follows:

Regular Appropriation for 1953 $2,419,500.00

Total available for 1953 2,419,500.00

Estimate for 1954 (Budget) 3,525,000.00

Because of the severe cut in the Institution’s 1953 appropriation, all building alterations and improvements were eliminated, and the Institution’s staff had to be reduced from 505 positions in 1952 to 492 in 1953, a loss of 13 employees. The estimate for 1954 carries practically a fifty per cent increase over the 1953 appropriation, from $2,419,500 to $3,525,000 for rehabilitation of exhibits and buildings, construction of a storage facility for the National Air Museum in Suitland, Maryland, international exchange of publications, and the addition of 29 positions to the seriously depleted guard force.

It was reported that hearings before the Subcommittee of the House for appropriations for the Independent Offices have not yet been scheduled. 

Dr. Wetmore was questioned by Mr. Vorys relative to the situation of Barro Colorado Island. He stated that the Department of Agriculture had eliminated from its appropriations the item which covered the support of the agricultural laboratory in the Canal Zone. Since Dr. Zetek, the Director of this Laboratory also acted as Resident Manager of the Canal Zone Biological Area, a hard problem had developed. This has made it necessary for the Smithsonian to pay Dr. Zetek’s salary for recent months. This is an expense which cannot long be continued. 

After considerable discussion of the Canal Zone Biological Area, the urgent necessity was presented for taking adequate steps to preserve this unique scientific,