OLD PROVINCIAL RECORDS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21404, 21 February 1935, Page 12

OLD PROVINCIAL RECORDS

«, DANGER OF FALLING INTO DECAY VALUE TO STUDENTS GENERAL INTEREST OF EARLY ' MINUTE BOOKS Occupying a large section of the shelving on the gallery above the reading room at the Canterbury Public Library is the greater bulk of the extant records of the administration of the Canterbury settlement under the Provincial Government. Several hundred volumes, for the most part account books and ledgers, make up the collection, and there are in addition piles of documents on the upper shelves. The librarian, Mr E. J. Bell, said yesterday that these records had been in the library ever since he could remember, probably for nearly 30 years. Very few people had asked to see them. Periodically the shelves had been cleaned, but the library staff could not attend to the preservation of the books even if they had sufficient time to do so. Mr Bell said that the collection should certainly be properly classified and placed where it could be looked after. In the reference library there are complete sets of the published proceedings of the Provincial Government, and these are naturally well cared for. But the written records appear to be in danger of ranid decay. The leather bindings of the volumes have been attacked bv rats, and torn fragments of pages scattered on the lower shelves show that not only the covers are destroyed.

Value to Students Dr. J. Hight, Rector of Canterbury College and Professor >of His f at the college, said yesterday that he had from time to time sent students to inspect the records, but studies of any value were hindered because the collection was not classified. There was probably a great deal of material of no particular value, but the valuable material could only be discovered by proper inspection. It was possible that many of the old records had been destroyed when the Provincial Council buildings had been taken over by the Government. "One naturally feels very strongly about it." said Dr. Hight, "and if the rats are getting into the shelves it is time something was done to preserve the records. If we had a proper library building the records could be kept at the college, where they would be of most use. I should not like to see them anywhere else." Other Records Those volumes which contained records of conveyances, and other matters affecting the ownership of land, were retained at the Provincial Council buildings, as it was expected that they would be useful in the current work of the Lands Department. Recently these have been removed from the attic where they were stored, through the interest of Mr L. Harding, of the Lands and Survev Office, and they have been placed on in a small room where they will be available for reference. They have been classified and arranged, and Mr Harding is preparing an index The books have been fairly well preserved, and some of the records are practically complete. Old Minute Books At the public library there is a volume containing a record of letters sent from the Provincial Treasurer's office, in Lvttelton, from the end of 1853 to 1865, most of the letters being addressed to "His Honour the Superintendent." But more interesting, although of a later date, are four minute books of the Executive Council of the Provincial Government, covering periods between 18G0 and 1876. In the minutes of a meeting on March 27, 1863, is the following entry: "The Council is of opinion that it would be desirable to fit out an expedition to the West Coast by sea for the purpose of establishing a depot for stores as soon as possible, in order that prospecting parties or others running short of provisions may be able to obtain a fresh supply pending the establishment of private stores."

A later entry shows the payments which were made on account of the expedition, which cost altogether £lslO 16s, including the expenditure of £SO 10s for watertight "boots. The Brothers' Pride Emigrants coming to New Zealand on the sailing ships of the 'sixties did not, apparently, always enter into the spirit of the ceremony of "crossing the line." Comnlaints were made by passengers on the ship Brothers' Pride against the treatment they had received on the vdyage, so the Provincial Government thought fit to order an enquiry. The entry in the minute book tells the story: "The Government, desirous of investigating the circumstances attending the voyage of the Brothers' Pride, with reference to comDlaints made by some of the passengers, instituted an enquiry on the "oints upon which complaints were raised . . . . and came to the following conclusions: "The Government consider that 1 hough it appearsthat the doctor endeavoured in some instances to interfere to prevent the shaving on the Line, he ought to have protested more strongly against it as he was in charge of the emigrants. "The Government are of oninion that the captain ought not to have allowed the shaving to have taken place. "The statements made as to the cleanliness of the ship and the quantity and the quality of the fpod supplied leave no ground for complaint." Of General Interest The instances quoted show that it is possible even for a person seeing the collection for the first time, and having no classification to assist him, to find occasional interest in glancing through the volumes. Instances might be multiplied, such as the record of interviews between the Executive Council and Mr Moor-