[Smithsonian Institution appropriations hearings]

SHEPARD SECRETARY-TREASURER AND GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES (BUDGET OFFICER), NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART; GEORGE T. The total number of staff members (paid from state funds) deemed necessary for the proper maintenance and operation of the National Art Gallery on a full year basis is estimated by the Board of Trustees at 234.

218 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942

The cost of the government is the administrative costs, the costs of project operation and the protection of works of art in the National Gallery. The Kress Collection has already been given to the Nation, and these two, together with the [Mellon Collection, are probably the three largest collections in private hands in the world.

220 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942 MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION" OF BUILDING

221 TRAVEL EXPENSES

Part of this increase is due to last year's understatement, and the rest due to an increase in finished space and a one-third increase in air conditioning equipment. There is a value to the paintings in the interior of the buildings, some of them are valued at $1,000,000 each, and some more, and it is necessary, it seems, to look at them all.

224 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942 225 The increase under this appropriation is allotted among the several projects as

226 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942 ESTABLISHMENT AND DUTIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES

WORK DONE UNDER THIS ALLOTMENT

226 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942 ESTABLISHMENT AND DUTIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE. of the institution, but funds from this source have of late years diminished to such an extent that the work must be curtailed unless public support comes. The approval of this request would make it possible to carry out the necessary investigations on a modest scale and to slowly build up the information most important in the elaboration of the story of the American Indians. The semi-arid region that consisted of the States of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah witnessed the development of the highest indigenous culture within the borders of the present United States.

To complement the work in the southwestern area, it was hoped to continue research at the oldest residential site yet found in the New World, the Lindenmeier site in northern Colorado. These four great tribes, whose distribution covers almost the extent of the North American continent, are rapidly approaching the end of their native culture. The search for these origins encompasses what is probably the current outstanding archaeological problem for the New World.

WORK UNDER THIS ALLOTMENT

The matter was discussed by the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, which include the Chief Justice, the Vice President, and representatives of the Senate and House, and a resolution supporting the request for public support was unanimously adopted. Well-trained staff with extensive experience in this field of investigation have been dealing with these problems in the institution for many years. now a total of $19,100 per year for the Astrophysical Observatory. The balance of the requested funds of $25,000 is needed for supplies, including electricity, chemicals, special additions to technical equipment and incidentals.

In view of the fundamental importance of such investigations to agriculture and industry, public support is strongly urged. To transfer two employees at the solar observation station at Mount Montezuma, Chile, to a station in the United States and two employees from the United States to the Chile station. The increase of $1,750 is required to bring back to this place the present station director and his assistant and to relieve them.

230 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942

The funds available under this sub-appropriation are insufficient for materials to construct display and storage cases in the quantity required. the reorganization of our collections, which is continuously underway as new material is received, makes it necessary to disperse and reclassify collections so that they become available for study. The steady growth of the plant collections makes it imperative that more space be provided for their care. In 1928 an overhead gallery was built over the western half of this hall to accommodate the necessary extension.

It is now necessary to continue this gallery across the eastern half of the hall to cater for the growing collection. At the moment, all available space is used for storage cabinets and the only possibility to obtain the necessary trunk room. is through the construction of this gallery, the cost of which is estimated by the Acquisitions Department to be $11,750. During this period it was systematically patched and the section on the east side replaced, but general deterioration due to heavy traffic and winter injuries reached a point where further patching was completely inadequate. possible to do major repairs and resurface the entire road.

232 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942

Although the air has only three hundred and one per cent, of carbonic acid gas in it, yet all the coal, wood, vegetation, carbon in our bodies, everything containing carbon, has come, directly or indirectly, from absorption of carbon dioxide from green leaves of plants under the influence of light. For 25 years, I hoped to make a study of this matter, in fact to find out what kinds of light, what intensities of light, the distribution of time in which that light falls, and other features. About 1930 we were able to devote some of the Institution's private means to this end, and the Research Corporation of.

This work has been so highly appreciated that we have received letters, entirely unsolicited, from hundreds of people all over this country and the world who are interested in these subjects, praising the work. And many of the methods we've used and the apparatus we've used are new, so these methods and apparatus have been copied by some. This year we raised it and the matter was investigated very thoroughly by the budget office, many questions.

934 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1042

The new posts are as follows: First, an Additional Clerk Stenographer, Grade CAF 3, for duty in the Engineer's Office. We would also like to add a furniture maker, grade CU 7, to carry out the necessary work in the furniture shops, and a furniture maker's helper. These men are engaged in making and repairing storage and display furniture for the National Museum for our ever- increasing the collections to keep these valuable materials in good condition.

It is very important that the timber is well seasoned, otherwise when it dries it cracks and allows the entry of dust, insects and sometimes bVht, all of which are very destructive. The storage cabinets are also made in unit sizes so that the containers £0 in them are interchangeable from one cabinet to another. By doing the work in our own shops, we can store samples there and set up jigs that enable an absolute determination of size.

236 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942 ADDITIONAL 8UPPLIES

ETHNOLOGY AND ARCHEOLOGY OF AMERICAN INDIANS

I think the cultural aspects of the work, the contributions to history - especially the pre-Columbian history of the Americas - are great. In my explanation I have mentioned some things which have been revealed for the benefit of modern culture as a result of these ethnological studies. In recent researches, ethnologists have studied more seriously the hundreds of other medicines used by the Indians in different parts of the country, and they are gradually discovering that they are enormous.

One interesting piece of research, which is now almost completed, has to do with what appears to be a specific for paralysis found in the application of curare, drugs which the Indians used mainly to sharpen their arrows in the tropical jungles of South To poison America. However, wild rice was widely used by the tribes in the Great Lakes region and was one of the staple foods of this region. Recently, as a result of the findings of ethnologists, some ethnologically interested members of the Department of Agriculture have studied more carefully the plants used by the Indians.

INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942 239

PRESERVATION OF COLLECTIONS

240 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942 NEEDS OF THE MUSEUM

241 The Division of Ethnology has under its charge articles and products of many

242 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942

In the Appropriations Act of 1941, a request was made to extend the daily duty of charwomen from 3 to 4 hours a day. This request was partially met by the grant of $2,500, which enabled us to place charwomen on 4-hour 2-day shifts each week, leaving the 3-hour service for the remainder of the time. Although this is a great help, especially in connection with Monday cleaning, it is still not possible to keep the exhibition halls to an acceptable standard of cleanliness.

The amount received for 1941 was intended to replace the loss of time incurred by the grant of leave to the staff, but it still does not take into account the additional work thrown upon this corps by the addition of cases in the exhibition halls and by the large amount of work this corps has received. increased attendance. It is still felt that last year's request is moderate, and in the interests not only of keeping our halls in an attractive condition for our visitors, but also of the preservation of the stone floors, a request is made to an additional $5,330, which would place all of our maids on a four-hour basis. increase the shift time of the forewomen from 4 to 5 hours per day, a step necessary to obtain the maximum effort from the employees. Although the Museum depends largely on donations and exchanges for the building up of its library, it is not possible to acquire important individual books and periodicals in this way, and the small amount of money currently allocated for such a purchase makes it impossible to purchase the necessary standard reference material for use by the professional staff.

245 This being Friday the 13th, it may seem desirable to display the

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT FOR LABORATORIES

PRINTING AND BINDING

248 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942

But that was $35,000 less than we used to get in 1932, and in the meantime the cost of printing and binding has gone up so that we are not able to do anything like the amount of printing that we used to be able to do. Now when the staff is making an effort to make a study of an important subject in connection with the collections, we have no money to print it with, and it is very demoralizing to morale. They entered thoroughly into all our affairs, and as a result the Budget Bureau has made an estimate of $100,000, which.

But still it will be a great encouragement to our staff if we can be able to print the things that have been lying for years and what is to come, to give them some encouragement about their valuable work for the collections and other interests of the Institution, and that we shall be able to print it for the public good. True, the editor is here and he can answer any question about this issue. What are the things you will be able to print this year, because of the proposed increase, that you have not printed before.

INVESTIGATION OF RADIATION ON PLANT GROWTH AND ANIMAL ORGANISMS

251 extent. It is not possible for us to carry it on with the other demands

AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

252 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1942

Yes that is true; So-called historical material is very often produced by journalists and other untrained people. 1, 2 and 3 volumes, will be distributed as follows: 2,500 copies will go to the Smithsonian Institution for distribution to libraries worldwide; 2,000 copies will go to members of the American Historical Association. Then the remainder is made available for distribution as public documents to all but a small number of senators and congressmen.

Sometimes they sell out a little sooner, sometimes they have them on hand a little longer. Generally, if a person who is not a member of the Society and who cannot obtain a copy through a Senator or Congressman wishes to purchase a copy, he may do so at a low price, between 75 cents and $1.50, normally, .