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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION    1471

it was felt that because of the present importance of the nonpublic funds budget a more formal budget procedure than in the past should be installed, and it was voted that a budget should be presented to the Executive Committee for its consideration and adoption. Accordingly this was done, and the budget for the fiscal year 1959 was adopted at the Executive Committee meeting held on June 18, 1958, and the budget for the next year, that is, for the fiscal year 1960, was adopted at the Executive Committee meeting held on December 10, 1958. These two budgets with comparison figures of actual expenditures, as audited for 1958, were presented. In discussing the budgets the Secretary emphasized the fact that the private funds budget of the Smithsonian is not a budget that allows much discretion because many of the items that are involved in it are fixed by donors, sponsors or bequests. As a particular case in regard to grants the Secretary mentioned the Satellite Tracking Program and the definite contributions to the increase of scientific knowledge made by the Astrophysical Observatory of the Smithsonian Institution, i.e. the prediction that the Russian Sputnik II would go down on a particular day in the region of Trinidad. This was proved true. The sense of the meeting was that the Regents should approve the work of the Secretary in establishing the necessary contractual relations or securing grants from the government and nongovernment agencies for the conduct of research work related to the purposes of the Smithsonian. On motion duly made, seconded and carried it was

VOTED that the Board of Regents approves the budgets of the Private Funds for the fiscal years 1959 and 1960 as recommended by the Executive Committee.

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE

On motion by Dr. Greenewalt, seconded by Dr. Haskins and Dr. Brown, and carried it was.

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