EARLY HISTORY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 28 January 1929, Page 11

EARLY HISTORY

VALUABLE RECORDS

DX. SCHOLEFIELD'S

RESEARCHES

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.")

AUCKLAND, This Day

An interesting statement was made at tlio Science Congress this morning by Dr. G. Scholefiold, Controller of Dominion Archives, regarding books and records of the Now Zealand Company which established tho settlements of Wellington, New Plymouth, Nelson, and Otago, in the early 'forties of the last century.

Dr. Scholefield stated that when tho company stopped colonising in ISSO as a prelude to its dissolution in 185S, its records were carefully sorted, and eventually handed over to tho Colonial Office. They included not only minute books and account books of the company, and of each of the settlements, but also tho whole of the correspondence, including eVon original dispatches sent out to each of the resident agents in New Zealand. Such details as the attendance books of tho directors' meetings, calculations of fees duo to directors, even spent cheques and petty cash vouchers, for the whole period of the company's existence wore preserved, and very methodically arranged. It is actually possible to trace by receipts the 2£d a day allowed to tho office messenger in London for snuff, and each cab fare paid between Adam street and Downing street in the days when the company loomed largo in the eyo of tho House of Commons. Tho system of keeping accounts and records was a tribute to the memory of Thomas Cudbevt Harington, tho secretary.

Becords of the company duly found their way iuto tho cellars of the Public Bccord Office in London, where Dr. Scholcfield had access to them twenty years ago for purposes of research. Following on a report by the late Dr. Hockon, a certain quantity was presented to New Zealand, and had been in tho Dominion for twenty or thirty years. With, the exception of some attention paid to them by the late Dr. Allan Thomson, Director of tho Dominium Museum, they remained untouched until the appointment of the archivist two or three years ago. He naturally made it his duty to examine and organise at tho earliest possible moment the papers which had been sent to New Zealand, and the work was now practically finished. As a result, something liko 150 volumes would bo available as archive material. A list that Dr. Scholefield had just received from tho public record office showed that they had retained more' than 300 volumes in England.