Viewing page 222 of 520

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION   1410

COMMENT BY THE SECRETARY ON VARIOUS CURRENT MATTERS

The Secretary stated that a number of items would be outlined briefly for the information of the members of the Board of Regents. The building plans had been presented in outline form at the dinner meeting January 13, 1955. Copies of the "Smithsonian Institution Building Program, 1954" were handed to all members at the meeting. The progress in the modernization of exhibition halls was also reviewed. 

The Secretary explained that various proposed formal television contracts had been offered to the Institution that might limit it in regard to future television presentations and would be otherwise restrictive. The advice of counsel had been sought and to date, according to this advice, no contract has seemed to be fully satisfactory. 

The case of the Oriental picture mounter of the Freer Gallery of Art was considered, and a statement about the situation of his family was distributed. It has been established that this employee is probably the only person in the United States who can restore the 2,000 paintings in the Freer Gallery of Art needing repair. He has been in this country without his family for almost 21 months, and unless the bills introduced by Senator Saltonstall and Representative Cannon in behalf of his family are passed, it will not be possible for his family to join him. He is determined to leave the country, if his family cannot be with him as he had been led to believe was permissible.

It was suggested that each member of the Board of Regents might write to the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee stating that this was a matter of importance and supporting the identical bills S. 328 and H.R. 933.

The Secretary reported the gifts and bequests that had been received during the calendar year, 1954. These are annually published in the "Report of the Secretary and Financial Report of the Executive Committee of the Board of Regents." The total for the calendar year of 1954 was $322,843.67. 

The Secretary reported on estimated income and expenditures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1955. A copy of this report was handed to each member of the Board of