Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-29
ENLARGED u. S. MUSEUM TO
FACILITATE SCIENCE DATA
CrOwding of Exhibits Will Be Relieved
by $6,5OO,OOO Appropriation Under
SmOOt-ElliOtt Bill.
TN passing the Smoot-Elliot bill Con-
gress has authorized an appropri-
alton of $500, 900 for the enlarge

TN passing the Smoot-Elliot bill Con-
gress has authorized an appropri-
alton of $500 900 for the enlarge
Il ment Of the National Museum and
at the same time has taken cog
nizance Of the almost universal interest
IN pure science. It also means that
the Smithsonian Institution will have
necessary space, and that the museum
Will be equipped for additional exhibits
of scientific nature.
The Natural History building has
long needed more room to store and
study the growing collections of every
thing found In nature, from ancient
specimens of the deep sea to the skele-
tons of long extinct animals as we'll as
specimens OF every creature now roam
ing the earth.
Pure science has had to Justify itself
and prove its worth. There has been
bitter opposition to this large expen-
diture OF money in the past. ."Just to
gather knowledge that has no utili-
tartan value" Is one way that money
donated for pure. science has been re-
garded by some critics. One man went
so far as to accuse the institution of
waste IN spending money for the pub
LEGATION Of study for sea weeds. But
during the first part of the twentieth
century men other than scientists have
come to see the worth of pure science
and have given i; their support.
Service tc Dill Industry.
Twenty-Five year ago Joseph Cush-
man. specialist IL the National Mu-
scum, receiving Government compensa-
tlon OF 5000 year, described and
named the microscopic shells of tiny
animals called ''foraminifera," which
were found in thousands of samples of
mud from the bottom of the sea. The
mud was part of a large collection
OF the museum and would, at first
glance, appear to be of small use to
man-probably less than anything in
the museum. But 10 years ago oil
companies discovered that the fossils of
these same animals, found to occur in
| certain strata in the Southwestern oil
fields, could be made to identify the
strata and thus serve as a guide to the
presence of oil, if way were found to
identify the foraminifera.
The Smithsonian collections provided
the means and Joseph Cushing had the
knowledge. Thus the man, the collec-
ton and publications on foraminifera
became at once factors worth millions
to the oil industry.
Many instances could be pointed out
10 snow the great unitarian value of
the immense collections of the Ma
tlonal Museum and the intense studies
OF the institution in correlating knowl-
edge so that 1t may be used eficiently.
The real work of the Natural History
Museum is done in the seclusion of the
laboratories and until recently has been
unknown by many who casually view
the exhibits in the great halls. One
example serves to show the relation be-
tween the study collection and the ex-
h1bit collection in the department of
mammals. The number of specimens in
the study collection recently was 2lO,-
r0SO. while the exhibit collection num-
bered 400.
Source Of Basic Data.
The Smithsonian Institution has built
up at the National Museum the most
complete collection of the natural his
tory of North America in existence,
largely at the expense of its private
funds: The Government departments
and friends from all over the world
have contributed greatly The collec-
ton as result is a source book of fun