HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11947, 5 March 1917, Page 3

HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS.

; NATIONAL COLLECTION ! PROPOSED. 1 THE GOVERNMENTS APPEAL. 1 With a view to tlio formation of a 1 collection of historical materials, which are to have a home, eventually, in the projected Dominion Library, the Ivlin- • istcr of Internal Affairs has issued ai circular inviting those having in their possession papers, portraits or other documents of historical interest, to pre- : sent them to the National Collection, 1 clvus ensuring permanent preservation. In this connection it may be stated ' that provision was made in the Science : and Art Act 1913 for the establish- ■ ment of a, Dominion Scientific Art and Historical Library within or adjoining ! the Dominion Museum, and a Board of I ; Science and Art ha s been established j under the presidency of the Minister of ' Interna 1 Affairs. The board has ap--1 pointed a commix tee with which several c;entlo;men interested iu historical re- ! search have been connected. The war 1 has deferred the building of the Dominion Library, hut the committee has • acquired suitable* temporary acccm- | ' modation for the materia], it is collect- j ! ing. ! There already exists tho nucleus of ' the National Collection in the archives j or State Papers of the earlier Provin- j cial Governments and of the_ Centra! j Government, and this collection has j been added to from time to time by j purchase. The appeal by the Minister of Internal Affairs is now being sent to all.persons known to be descendants rf early settlers, and a systematic search has beer, made for the addresses , of such persons. I There is. of necessity, a certain j rivalry between the National Collec- ! tion and the various provincial collec- j j tiotis, hut the board expresses itself I | as a. well-wisher towards the provin- i j ci.nl collections, as tending to diffuse j the historical sense more widely [ through the communitv. Historical j ' research U) tho future ivi'l, however \ made much more diffuMlt- and e>;r>on=avA ; j through the dispersal of important | j documents throughout the Dominion, ! ! : and from this as well as from other ! : point? of view it is important that tho , j : ! National Collection should be made as I J complete-as possible. [