Evening star., 1902-01-22
Annual Meeting at the Smithsonian
Institution.
DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS PRESENT
The Annual Report Of the Sec
retary Submitted.
ANY TOPICS TREATED


held this morning at 10 OF clock. There were
present Chief Justice Fuller, chancellor, in
the chair; William P. Frye, president pro
tempore of the United States Senate; SEN
ator 8. NJ. Cullom, Senator o. H. Platt,
Senator F. M. Cockren, Representative
Robert Adams, jr., Representative Hugh
A. Dinsmore, DR.. j. B. Angel, Richard Oh
ney, George Gray, ]. B. Henderson, DR..
Alexander Graham Bell and Mr.. Secretary
Langley. Dr.. Andrew D. White. ambas-
sador at Berlin, and Representative r. r.
Hit were unable to be present.
The following changes were announced In
the membership Of the board: upon the
Inauguration of Vice President Roosevelt
the board. but upon taking the oath of
office on September IA, after the death of
President Mckinley, President Roosevelt
became ex-officio president of the establish
ment and ceased to be a member of the
board of regents. Mr.. William P. Frye,
president pro tempore Of the Senate was.
IN accordance with precedent, invited to
attend the meetings Of the board in place of
term as regent expired on March T. 1901
was reappointed on March Z, 1901, and Sem
ator Cockrell was appointed to succeed
Senator Lindsay, whose term as senator
and regent expired on March t. 1901. Rep
resentattves r. r. Hit, Robert Adams, jr.,
and Hugh A sDinsmore were reappointed by
the Speaker of the House to succeed them
selves as regents on the part of the House.
Secretary's Annual Report.
The secretary presented his annual re-
port for the fiscal year ending June %,
1901. which was accepted. It showed an
increase over previous years in the aid
given to research work. The institution
was aiding in research not only in this
country. but in Europe. Such subjects as
inf Of
to architectural acoustics being studied by
Prof. Sabine of Harvard; the relations OF
!lght and electricity and possibly Of the
Roentgen rays to each other. by DR.. Victor
Schumann OF Leipzig; further studies in
meteorological apparatus by DR.. Won Len
denfeld of the University of Prague and
the analysis OF vowel sounds by Prof. Louis
Bev1er of Rutgers College: some very In
teresting experiments by M. Marcy of the
institute of France, who applied chrono-
photography to the study Of air currents
and experiments by Prof A. G. Webster
and Prof. William Hallock of Columbia
University, New York city, are some of the
researches which have been aided during
the year from this fund.- all of which have
resulted I'm scientific results Of value and
a number of which may have important
tific men not only in the United States, but
equally In other parts of the world. show
that the institution tries to deserve its
motto, per orbem."
a table at the geological station at Naples.
and three American students have occupied
this table during the year.
Special Room for Children.
The special room for children In the
Smithsonian building was opened in Sep
tember, and has proved a point of attrac-
tion not only for children, but for their
elders. 1t is hoped that in addition to the
obvious purpose Of this room. the interest
ing of little people in natural history un-
der the idea conveyed in the epigram over
the door. knowledge begins In wonder
that larger and more important result
may be attained, namely, the application
Of more proper methods of labelling and ex-
hibition of objects in the museum at large
and in other museums elsewhere for the
instruction and interest of the general pub
lie
The secretary laid stress upon the fact
that the men who created the museum were
its best possession, that its best me. .A~were
staying here for the love Of the place and
their work and not for money, but that
their work had increased beyond all meas
so that they were breaking down in
health. There has been laid on them the
burden of over four times the work they
were performing twenty years ago, without
making any corresponding increase in the
appropriation, the number of specimens in
their care having increased from 1OOO, 900
to nearly 5000, 900. This was breaking down
"OFh, anu tnlS SnOulQ De considered first,
1t was nearly twenty years since -.le pres
ent museum-which was filled almost as
soon as 1t was cOmpleted-became insult
icient.- The number of specimens has more
than uqadrupled and the packed and con-
gested condition OF the building has come
almost to be scandal.
Whether this expression Is too strong or
not can De determined by comparison with
data or other prominent museums The
Museum of Natural History of New York
has allotted nearly sixteen cubic feet to a
specimen. whereas the National Museum
has about one-half Of one cubic foot to a
specimen.
Needs of the Museum.
The presentation Of the needs Of the nu
scum occasioned considerable discussion.
and resolution was adopted setting forth
that a committee, consisting of six men,
bers Of this board, be appointed by the
chancellor. whose duty 1t shall be to repre-
sent to Congress the pressing necessity of
additional room for the proper exhibition
of specimens belonging to the National Mn
scum, and of additional appropriations to
carry on the work of the museum
The chancellor appointed as members of
the committee Senators Platt Cullom and
Cockrell and Representatives Hit. Adams
and Dinsmore.
Field work has been prosecuted by the
officers OF the bureau of American ethnol-
ogy in at least a dozen states and terri
tories OF the Union as well as in Mexico
British Columbia and Canada Some OF
the collections thus made were used for
the Pan-American exposition at Buffalo.
Geological Park.
The Geological Park was established as
national institution for the protection
Of national interests. and it was never In
tended that it should be supported by local
taxation. 1t has received many important
additions during the year, and now has a
total Of S7S animals A temporary bird
house was erected and a large flying cage,
$50 by 0Ox5O feet. is being constructed.
Many other improvements were made in
the park, and 1t continues to be a most at
tractive place to visitors. The Secretary
laid strees in his report upon the larger
subject of preserving the animal races of
North America and Of the use of the marx
In that connection. He expressed his
hearty sympathy with the projects had nv
various departments and cordially Endorsed
by the President In his message to incres 90
the forest reserves and enlarge the nm,,,-
Der Of public parks for recreation purnosea
the preserving Of game in these parks and
reservations, and urged that from these the
collections In the National Zoological Park
could be recruited. The Secretary pointad
out, however, that animals having lived In
the wild state require to be "gentledS he