Evening star., 1928-12-23
Fifty Years Ago
I'm The Star

ut is not unreasonable to suppose" !"
says The Star Of December 81, 1878.
that whenever a
NaConal museum vote is obtained in
Building Needed. Congress on the
proposition to erect
new building for the National Museum
the decision will be in It's favor. The
Senate some time ago passed without a
dissenting voice q bill authorizing an
appropriation for that purpose. Though
the bill failed to be taken up in the
House out of its regular order through
lack of two-thirds vote, it obtained
majority vote; and many Of those
opposing it gave its friends to under
stand that when the uncertainty as to
the return of the 81 100000 loaned by
the United States to the Centennial
Commission was removed by its repay
ment, they would withdraw opposition
to the pending bill. The House COM
mittee which has the bill In charge Is
unanimous in its favor. These facts
would seem to warrant the belief that
when the bill comes up in its regular
order it viii pass.
THE considerations which doubtless
impel Congress to this step are indeed
weighty. First, there is the necessity
which arises from the condition of the
present National Museum in the Smith
sonian Building Even before the Cen
tennial Exposition the shelves were
crammed to overflowing so that 1t was
impossible to make satisfactory dis
play of specimens. AS Congress makes
an annual appropriation for the support
of the museum, It doubtless intends that
the collections made under its auspices
shall be exhibited and to effect this
more room Is q necessity. The four
floors of the Armory Building are
packed with opened boxes; the base
ment of the Smithsonian is in the same
condition. There is material to I'LL
building five times as large as the pres
ent one.
1.-The character of the collections fur
nishes an additional reason why they
should not be hidden away, exposed
only to fire, mold and rust. They In
clude Centennial donations received
from various States of the Union, from
individuals and from foreign exhibitors,
besides nearly q thousand separate
packages sent since the time of the
exposition. OF about 40 governments and
colonies represented at Philadelphia. "a
presented the choicest of their exhibits
and the entire collection is valued at
not less than $1,000,000.
Most governments, when they wish
to nave museums that can compare
with the great collections OF the world,
are put to great expense to obtain the
specimens, but here we have the mate
rial on hand, as we'll as skilled exhibit
ors already in the employ of Govern
ment, to show it to the best advantage
and all that is needed to reproduce the
Centennial Exposition In It's useful fea-
lures Is the necessary building. Some
action must be taken in the matter out
of respect to the foreign governments
who have poured their treasures at
our feet: and worthy disposition must
be made of the gifts to counteract the
bad impression produced by our long
delay and neglect.
"The material interest Of the United
States as well as duty is involved In
the decision of the question. We would
have here not merely curiosities and
rarities from China. Siam and other
far-away nations. not merely Minton
tiles and mosaics, Doulton pottery and
terra Gotta work, one piece of which
from the Centennial was valued at
900, to please the eyes of the people.
but the immense collections illustrating
the geology, metallurgy, ethnology and
general resources Of the world will con-
stitute q school of free instruction,
which will attract students from every
where and give a stimulus to the in
dustries Of the whole country. With ac-
cessions from the myriad sources that
have filled the Smithsonian Building
with valuable exhibits at little or no
expense for collection, the Museum
should become in time what the South
Kensington Museum. the British Mu-
scum and the School of Mines COM
hined are to Great Britain"