SENDS FOR THE BIBLE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 16, 9 April 1927, Page 1

SENDS FOR THE BIBLE

When in Doubt SOME PREFER ETHEL DELL When an enthusiastic Cabinet Minister, following doubtless in the foootsteps of his late chief, Mr. Massey, wants to make a particularly crushing reply in the House, he sends for a Bible. After swotting the Old Book at his leisure he returns it to the Parliamentary Library. The Labour members of the f New Zealand Legislature are omnivorous readers. Social and economic works particularly appeal to them. Incidentally, Dr. Guy Scholefield, Parliamentary librarian, who is spend-

ing a few days in Auckland, characterises one of our Labour members, Mr. J. A. Lee, Auckland East, as “ the finest judge of good fiction in the House.” Parliamentarians must enjoy a little relaxation sometimes. After all, they are human the same as anyone else. Some find refreshment and renewed vigour in the Good Book. Others prefer to delve into the succhrined romances of, for instance, Ethel M'. Dell. EARLY STATE PAPERS The New Zealand Parliamentary library is the largest in the Dominion On its walls are numbered over 112,000 books. Many of its tomes, particularly the State papers relating to the early settlement and development of this country, are beyond price. Never could they be replaced. True, the famous Grey collection in Auckland is, intrinsically, of greater value. The Turnbull Museum. Wellington, one of the finest bequests the Dominion has yet known, too. has a treasure trove far ricb.r, as far as New Zealand history is concerned than the Parliamentary Library. It has to be remembered, howevej that the Monrad collection of etchings for example, which long lay in the Parliamentary Library, is now housed with similar gifts in the Turnbull Mus. ..in. In this collection, the bequest of a fc er well-known Palmerston North citizen, are ever.a; splendid example of Rembrandt. Older and 'mo*-, wealthy museums in other parts •-»! the world doubtless cast longing ey •: upon these glowing examples of th° art of a master craftsman. The ucleus the Parlia. .entail Library was that of the old Wellington Provincial Libfary of 1854. Gifts fro r> such men as the Hon. W. A. B. Man tell, who combined vast scientific knov. .edge with some little skill in ti e political arena, considerably helped U State papers from Great Britain rir into thousands ol volumes. Right back to the times of the Tudors be ced the grave deliberations of Commons and Lords. Any legislat can. if he so desire* mak himself thoroughly acquaint with the laws of Queen Bess. Had Mr. Lang, the New South Wales Pre mier. by the way, closely followed in his own library, 'the Acts of Stuart Anne, he would never have imposed his in famous newspaper tax. QUEEN ANNE’S FAILURE Queen Ann- tried the same experiment and m t with precisely the sai « res-. History often has a knack of repeating itself. What parliamentarian knows that his own library houses the deliberations of the American Congress? For nearly 60 years they have been carefully protected. Vet it was only on the a*, mt of Dr. Scholefield that they were embodied in the catalogue. Then, the files of New Zealand newspapers, all guarded in this library. Many of these no longer exist elsewhere. and re of exceedingly gr t hi toric value. But the exigencies of finance, and difficulties of storage, have in recent years considerably restricted this field Only about a dozen of the leading Do minion newspapers are now preserved Also housed in the parliamentarians library is the pen with which Mi Massey signed the Versailles Treaty. Not only is the library availed of by our legislators, but no fewer than 900 of the multitude who have not the right of entry to Bellamy s enjoy library recess privilege?. E - R -