A TROUBLED CHILDHOOD

Turnbull Library Record, Volume 3, Issue 2, 1 August 1970, Page 92

A TROUBLED CHILDHOOD

A.G.B.

‘The nucleus of a National Collection’

The bequest to the Crown by Alexander Horsburgh Turnbull was the first in New Zealand of its kind, and in its range, character and value was then and still is unique. How did Government rise to the challenge of this splendid cultural if quite unsought legacy so far from the normal preoccupations of New Zealand, particularly at the end of the first World War? Were there people about who knew what should be done and were able to provide for future development as well as ensure appropriate custody for the collection? If we can be permitted to exercise summary judgement in anticipation of a conclusion before we have presented any of the evidence a provisional answer could be, on the whole, favourable except in the provision of funds - favourable or, less warmly, satisfactory at least by the standards of the time having regard to the general poverty of professional library expertise, the lack of any endowment and the fact that the Library's first fifteen years spanned one major and two mini economic depressions. With the virtue of hindsight and the courage of our slightly better resources we must avoid the temptation to hasty or complacent judgement and even have regard to the idiosyncracies of librarians as well of the administrators with whom, too often, the final decisions rested.

Space, time and discretion command that the outline history must be covered in varying depth and completeness. It is nevertheless possible to survey the initial decisions and some of the Library's struggles during the 'Andersen incumbency' a little more closely than has hitherto been practicable. Even a modest two decades take us to 1940 when the writer himself had been on the staff for more than two years. Much more importantly 1940 is an archival frontier at which point in terms of the thirty-year rule of access even an enlightened archives administration would say that use of contemporary files should stop. For various good reasons a closer perusal must be left to our successors as either historians or historian-librarians.

The Library climate at the time of the Turnbull bequest may help us to place the difficulties of the Library's beginnings in a suitable context - that is, if the use of this modern metaphor of 'climate' is not far too pretentious a way of summarising the scattered and unrelated thinking on librarianship in the early twenties. The New Zealand Libraries Association was in recess; a halting subsidy scheme lamely assisted a local authority public library movement, weak except in the four centres whose city councils mostly were still accustoming themselves to the necessity of making a modest provision beyond the range of a subscription system; the university libraries were enduring a starved

and protracted infancy. True, there had already been at least two outstanding bequests, that of Dr Hocken in Dunedin and Sir George Grey's gift to Auckland whose Library under the competent guidance of a young Scot, John Barr, was perhaps the most impressive of the city services with its Grey and Shaw collections. In Wellington, Herbert Baillie, a student of local history and former bookseller, was in charge at the Wellington Central Library. The reading room contained a surprisingly good general collection pervaded by a characteristic odour blended from stale paper, dust and dried sweat - unique and far removed from Lawrence Clark Powell's nostalgic recollection of Parisian Chanel and coal smoke. With its Newtown and Brooklyn branches it had a staff of about fifteen. The General Assembly Library with its staff of ten was the leading reference collection of national scope under the ministrations of a former journalist and litterateur Charles Wilson. 1 As the Library of Parliament it was obliged to reject implicitly if not overtly the periodic public suggestions that it was and should act as, the National Library.

In Dunedin the city's rate-supported public library was showing the way to New Zealand of the next generation but things were less happy at the University which controlled the Hocken Library, the bequest of Turnbull's old friend. We know that Turnbull was impressed by the public reaction to Dr Hocken's gift. Perhaps he took note of its subsequent history. One local school of thought considered that W. H. Trimble, Hocken's first librarian, had completed his task when he compiled the unorthodox and incomplete but most useful printed catalogue of the collection. Trimble was not amused when the University Council expected that he might take responsibility for the main Library as well as Hocken at half his former salary and word of his resignation may have reached Turnbull who at this time made the codicil 2 to his will which left the collection to the Crown instead of to Victoria University College. All in all the precedents for a generous staffing of such special collections were not encouraging.

Within a few weeks of Trumbull's death on 28 June 1918 Cabinet, in formally accepting the heritage, decided that the Library be called 'The Turnbull Library', that it be run on the lines of the Mitchell Library in Sydney, its management to be under the 'direct control' of the Chief Librarian of the General Assembly Library and its general supervision to be placed in the hands of the Board of Science and Art and, finally, that an officer be appointed to take charge of the Library who would be given 'the use of the residential quarters until such time as that portion of the building is required for State purposes'. 3 The building itself in which Robert Turnbull, Alex's brother, resided for a period after his death, did not form part of the bequest and was purchased as a home for the collection for £9,133 with furniture and

fittings, etc, for an additional £593 19s. 4 As a result of representations by Robert Turnbull it was decided to call the Library 'The Alexander Turnbull Library' a change which was formally ratified by the Board of Science and Art in October 1921, following a Cabinet decision to this effect in July. 5 A provisional insurance cover on the building and library for -£50,000 was taken out. 6 The effect of the administrative decisions was to make the Chief Librarian of the Legislative Library the person to whom Turnbull's Librarian would be directly responsible while the Board of Science and Art, in the exercise of its 'general supervision', was in practice some degrees removed from short-term control except in a few minor matters. Mr Wilson, who was doubtless consulted about the propriety of this step, was appointed Advisory Director to the Turnbull Library at a salary of -£SO per annum and as such reported to the Minister of Internal Affairs for the first three years.

Turnbull, although he had bequeathed his library to the Crown as the nucleus of a national collection had not made it over to the Parliamentary Library. After all he had lived opposite to it for twenty-five years and presumably knew something of it. There is no evidence that he intended his bequest to be administered as a part responsibility of its librarian, although the Cabinet decision was an understandable one in the circumstances of the time. What Turnbull thought of Wilson is not on any located record although Wilson himself claimed Turnbull's friendship. When he was busily restricting Mr Andersen's development of the theatre collection he claimed that 'Some five years ago when spending a Sunday afternoon' with Turnbull they had discussed the future of this section. Turnbull had noted that certain items he was thinking of ordering on Wilson's checking were found to be already in the General Assembly Library. 7

The Board of Science and Art had been established by statute in 191 to manage, inter alia, 'The Dominion Museum, Dominion Art Gallery and Dominion Library'. Clause 5 of the Act authorised the establishment of a 'Dominion Scientific, Art, and Historical Library ... in the City of Wellington, within or adjoining the Dominion Museum'. The Dominion Library was the first legislative proposal for what we would today regard as a National Library and it was logical for Government to place the responsibility for Turnbull under its general direction. However, delays in the construction of the Museum and the war itself contributed to the increasing ineffectiveness of the Board which was finally abolished by the National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum Act of 1930. The next step was the appointment of a Librarian, Johannes Carl Andersen who was appointed at a salary of £345 per annum shortly to be raised to £440. Mr Andersen, a poet, historian of Maori legend and

of South Canterbury, had transferred in 1914 from the district office of the Lands and Survey Department in Christchurch to the General Assembly Library. Despite the presence in the Library of the faithful, over-worked and under-valued Mr H. L. James he was virtually the second-in-command and his promotion to the Turnbull position left Wilson, his former chief, still virtually in charge in the capacity of Advisory Director. Andersen took up duties in January 1919 and in March reported to the Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs, 8 'I have now a good general idea of the state of the Library as regards classification and arrangement, and of the amount of work required to be done in order to make it available to the public. I submitted to the Chief Librarian and he approved, an outline of the proposed course of work, methods to be adopted, etc. by which the New Zealand and Australian books will be taken first...' He thought that with an assistant he could have the 6,000 bound volumes of this section ready in about a year. However, this comprised less than a fifth of the whole and he recommended the appointment of two and, if possible, three assistants. Rather hopefully he thought that with two the first section might be ready before 1920 'and the whole library say in three years'. He was in fact to retire eighteen years later without the completion of a full catalogue of the original collection, let alone its accretions.

However, on 22 April, Miss M. D. Gray took up duties to be followed on 1 May by Miss G. F. G. Davidson and Miss Q. B. Cowles. The Librarian did not wish to take advantage of the living-in privileges authorised by Cabinet and responsibility for the off-duty hours of the Library and for its cleaning was in the hands of Miss Emily Brouard, an old Turnbull retainer, and Miss Hannah Grierson. Their domain, which vanished in the 1953-55 alterations, comprised the kitchen, bathroom, pantry and the two maid's rooms. A carefully drafted eightclause schedule defined their duties. As well as cleaning the building they were to assist in moving the books and answering the door. For many years the visitor's first impression of the Library after ringing the bell was of the front door being opened by the tiny bird-like figure of Miss Brouard who was well capable of making a quick assessment of the credentials of the caller before permitting entrance. One or other of the two custodians was always to be on the premises (Miss Grierson resigned in May 1920 and was replaced by Miss J. Tweeddale who in turn was followed by Miss O'Donnell). On Miss Brouard's final retirement in October 1944 she was appropriately interviewed by the New Zealand Listener and written up under the caption She dusted but did not read them. 9

A Miss U. I. M. Tewsley was appointed in September 1923 and had the distinction of editing for publication as the Library’s second bulletin - (the first was Andersen’s One hundred representative New Zealand

books) - Zimmerman's Third voyage of Captain Cook which appeared in 1926. At the end of that year Miss Tewsley transferred to the Museum and Miss Cowles to the General Assembly Library. One of the vacancies was filled by Miss A. M. Woodhouse as from 13 December 1926. In addition to the basic tasks of cataloguing the collection the next question seemed to be that of rules for the operation of the Library. The Board in March 10 requested that rules be submitted for its next meeting. This was done and in June they were approved subject to amendments proposed by Mr H. F. Von Haast. It is of some interest that the approval was not a mere formality and that the proposer of amendments was one who in later life was closely associated with the Library, and one of its benefactors.

But perhaps one of the most vital questions of all was that of finance for its future growth and development. If the expectation of further donations was implicit in its origin, money was necessary for systematic building in accordance with the founder's wishes if the nucleus were to develop and grow. The Librarian in April 1919 asked the Under-Secre-tary if a decision had been reached as to the amount available per annum for new books. 'I presume that the New Zealand portion is to be kept up to date and if possible at least part of the Australian and Pacific portion so long as there is no duplication of works being taken by the Parliamentary Library and Museum.' A sum of .£3OO or £4OO would enable all the New Zealand publications and the best of the others to be acquired. 'I understand, of course, that no purchases will be made by me except after consultation with Mr Wilson .. . but this Library is at a standstill so far as keeping up to date is concerned . . .' 12 The Under-Secretary (6 May 1919) thought that Mr Wilson's views should be obtained to which Andersen, a little testily, replied on 12 May that he wanted an indication of a specific sum to help in the discussions he was in any case having with Mr Wilson.

In July Wilson submitted a lengthy document to the Under-Sec-retary. 13 He proposed that in future 'only works on Australasia and Pacific history, geography, etc. should be added by purchase . . .', a view to which he adhered in his first published report: 14 '. .. In other branches of literature the requirements of students and the reading public are adequately met by the Parliamentary, the Museum, and the University libraries.' However commendable at first glance was this attempted rationalisation of collecting, it contained inbuilt contradictions which only today the National Library of NewJ Zealand is attempting to solve. To meet the needs of Parliament there would have to be some duplication of New Zealand material while, conversely, it would be contrary to the intentions of Turnbull's will to restrict growth in these areas of the 'nucleus'. On the other hand the authority to specialise in Australiana posed a challenge to the Library and its parent

Department utterly beyond it, although the excellent Australian collection still provides a basis for National Library building in the future. Surprisingly ignored was the Library's already clear pre-eminence in the literature of New Zealand. Again, there was obviously to be no commitment to the rare book collection itself except by donation. The formation of a policy however, was overshadowed unexpectedly by a posthumous debit from Turnbull's own purchases. A number of outstanding invoices for books supplied by Quaritch, although the volumes had been held in England at Turnbull's request until the end of the war, and hence had not been seen by him, were rejected by the Public Trustee as a claim against the estate. Among these were accounts for £654 145 2d, the titles on the British theatre in accordance with Turnbull's request of 14 December 1916. E. Y. Redward, Crown Solicitor, to whom the question of the Crown's liability was referred, confirmed that there was no legal claim against the New Zealand Government but that one would lie against the Public Trustee as administrator. 15 However, commonsense prevailed and on 27 August 1919 the Minister, on the recommendation of Wilson and the UnderSecretary, approved the purchase of outstanding items totalling £i,33i 165.

Another matter was satisfactorily adjusted. A proposed remission of £6,000 death duties had been the subject of much correspondence and Government shuffling. A petition was formally presented on behalf of the Public Trustee with a recommendation for favourable consideration. In the debate 16 Wilford said that when the original bequest was made in 1907 the residuary estate was not liable for duty in terms of existing legislation. He claimed that the collection if auctioned at Sotheby's would now fetch -£BO,OOO. To the credit of Government the remission was authorised by Cabinet in February 1922, and the refund to the estate of .£5,525 was placed on the 1922 Supplementary estimates. 17 Nevertheless, the settlement of the Quaritch account was doubtless a discomforting prelude to a reasonable decision on the annual grant. Except for ad hoc approvals of small orders such, for example as that in December 1919, when the Minister was asked to approve expenditure of .£3O on books, there does not seem to have been a grant at all. Perhaps the story told by Andersen to Mr Taylor of the verbal result of his approach to the Under-Secretary relates to this period: 'You've got a good collection - look after it.'

So without the sinews of war the inconsistencies and inadequacies of Mr Wilson's acquisition policy became almost irrelevant. Alexander Turnbull, it was estimated, had spent about £2,000 per annum on acquisition and a further £SOO on binding. 18 A respectable percentage, 25 or even 40 per cent, of his total would have given the Library a viable basis for development but the need was not appreciated. In the numbed

shock of deprivation the deep surgery which pruned back Turnbull's list of current periodical subscriptions was almost unnoticed. 19 It must, however, be recorded that in October 1921 the Librarian was advised that the Minister had approved 'an annual expenditure not exceeding per annum' on the purchase of books and publications for the Library. Something, nevertheless, seems to have happened to this authority which clearly was not available for most of the period of these notes. (Librarian to Under-Secretary, 5 October 1921). Possibly it withered in the first small depression some months later.

There were, however, occasional unexpected dividends. At the end of the year Messrs Wright Stephenson ‘who are clearing out their premises’ sent up thirty cases of books and some 400 bound volumes of newspapers, a residue from the 1916 take-over of W. & G. Turnbull and Company’s premises. With today’s hind-sight we would have loved to be present at the clearing out of Messrs Wright Stephenson’s premises. Not merely the archives of an important firm of stock and station agents might have been rescued but the records of Turnbull and Company themselves, now well lost to research except for dim indirect light in the files of solicitors and the occasional government archive. There might even have been some of A.H.T.’s own correspondence, perhaps the 1901-18 half, which according to legend brother Robert left in a tram, although with closer study one may feel that Robert’s loss may not have been accidental.

But it was more than time to open the Library. Members and the general public had been wanting to know almost for years when they were to see the national treasures. Mr W. T. Jennings, the member for Waitomo, was a persistent questioner. In November 1918 20 he asked whether members would have an opportunity of visiting the Library. The Minister said because of 'want of staff' it was proposed to ask members to defer their visits until the next session. 'At present it is absolutely closed.' Mr Jennings tried again in September 1919. 21 'What is the position of the closed Turnbull Library . . .?' He was told that 3,000 Pacific area volumes had been classified, accessioned and arranged and 4,000 remained to be dealt with. However, the Minister agreed that parties of members could now inspect the collection. Mr Jennings, from his remarks in the Supply debate, 22 availed himself of the opportunity. On 18 September the Honourable D. Buddo asked what provision was being made to keep up-to-date reference works on New Zealand and Australia. 23 Mr Wilson's suggested reply was that 'lt is intended to secure the necessary works of a reference nature relating to Australia and New Zealand'. Neither probably understood what was meant by the term reference work but in this mandate for equivocation the policy of restraint was confirmed. The second anniversary of Turnbull's death, 28 June 1920, was chosen

as the day for the official opening. The Honourable G. J. Anderson 'in the midst of a distinguished gathering' spoke briefly of the Library 'and of its great importance as a national historical collection'. Following afternoon tea, guests were shown over the three storeys of the building 'with its heavily stocked shelves'. 24 With pressure now on the Librarian to show the Library, if not to the world, then to a small but sometimes discerning public, the time available for basic cataloguing diminished. His hopeful expectation of completing the task within three years was no longer mentioned. Much staff time went in showing visitors around. There was no reading room and, so far as can be judged from complaints, no reading area, although from the early 1920 s an increasing number of graduate students came to use its New Zealand resources. The limited number of staff and more critically, imperfect library organisation, defeated the Librarian who in the years at his disposal could make it neither a research centre nor a tourist attraction.

The Minister's remarks at the opening regarding its future as the national historical collection were not entirely uninspired. While this is not the place to detail the origin of New Zealand's National Archives some sections of the story have relevance, as the Turnbull, for a brief period, was regarded as the appropriate repository. With vigour and determination - and staff- it could have developed into a joint State Library- Archives administration. Proposals, to begin only with those of Edward Tregear, go back to the 1890s 25 and the first serious recommendations linked archival responsibility with the Dominion Museum. A press note in July 1909 reported that Cabinet had decided upon the Mount Cook site for the new Dominion Museum 'in front of the Barrack'. A three-storey building was to be erected with 'provision for state documents and papers'. 26 The following month a note on the New Zealand Company Embarkation Register then in the custody of the Museum, elaborated on the intention to house the New Zealand Company records collected by Dr Hocken with the state archives under Mount Cook. 27

This plan was taken a stage further by the Science and Art Act already mentioned which conferred responsibility for collecting historical materials on the 'Dominion Library'. However, because of the postponement of the Museum building plans the Board of Science and Art, at its annual meeting on 23 June 1920, approved the transfer of the historical collection to the Turnbull Library. These measures had the full support of Dr Allan Thomson the Director of the Museum who in a report on the historical collections said 'I am strongly of the opinion that the collection should be transferred to the Turnbull Library . . . If the whole historical collections of the Government were concentrated in the Turnbull Library this could

issue a much stronger appeal than the Dominion Museum can under present conditions and would, with adequate finance, be in a much stronger position than the well-known Mitchell Library in Sydney. Moreover all possibilities of overlapping between the Turnbull Library and the Museum would be eliminated.' In advising the Librarian of the decision the Under-Secretary added 'This Department has a number of old records on hand and arrangements have been made for these to be gone through at an early date for the purpose of making a selection of those which it is considered should be deposited in the Turnbull Library for reference purposes.' From another source it is clear that the person asked to select the papers concerned was James Cowan. Cowan was instructed to report fortnightly on his progress in sorting material into two categories, retaining if necessary, documents that might contain information 'which it may not be desirable to throw open for public inspection'. 28 The reports were to be submitted to Dr Thomson and to Mr Andersen for preliminary approval. As a result of Cowan's labours several parcels of New Zealand Company documents were sorted out and ostensibly handed over, but these appear to have been reunited with the main body of the Company papers some years later. Possibly this occurred in 1928 when the records of the German administration in Samoa, which formed part of the Historical Collection, were passed on to Dr Scholefield as the Controller of Dominion Archives. 29

However, the National Historical Collection was transferred on 25 August. Apart from some propaganda dross of the war, it included original manuscript and other material of some value. The Annual Report for 1921/22 announced that a biographical section had been started but warned that existing staff had more than enough to do in merely completing the cataloguing of the Turnbull collection. The report for the following year, more hopefully, said that the 'library may in time include an Office of Public Records'. 31 About the same time a Library and Archives Committee of the Board of Science and Art was appointed of which the Chairman was the historian and journalist Guy H. Scholefield. The Sub-Committee held its first meeting on 4 February 1922 and approved the transfer of the Carter collection to the Turnbull Library. It also recommended that systematic efforts should be made to locate and catalogue all local, general government, provincial and ecclesiastical records as well as those of the New Zealand Company. Andersen at the request of the Under-Secretary, had made some general comments on the future of archives but without specifically associating the Library with them. The report for 1923 stated that 'it had not been possible to do anything towards arranging or cataloguing' the historical records already received and in 1925 the collection and its accretions was still being

referred to. However, one enquirer was told by the Librarian that the Library was not one for historical research. Admitting all the problems and limitations of staff one cannot avoid the conclusion that a chance was missed to involve the Library from its inception in a major responsibility. With the appointment of Dr Scholefield as Chief Librarian of the General Assembly Library in 1926 and shortly afterwards as Controller of Dominion Archives, a new direction was taken.

An interesting glimpse of the Library in 1922 is given by W. H. Ifould, Chief Librarian of the Public Library of New South Wales, in a report to his trustees following a visit to New Zealand. 32 Alexander Turnbull in his lifetime ‘we considered ... a most serious competitor with your Trustees in the acquisition of Australasian material’. He spoke of the magnificent collection bequeathed to the country now probably worth ‘The New Zealand Government has decided that the Turnbull Library shall be the archives department of the Dominion and are transferring there important records from all departments . . .’ He noted that the Internal Affairs Department provided for the necessary additions to the Library ‘but so far the Government has made no definite endowment’.

It was important that he should find out the exact financial position of the institution but after further enquiry concluded 'My visit . . . disclosed that your Trustees are not likely to have to meet for some time competition from New Zealand libraries and collectors in the acquisition of original documents of Australasian interest.' How right he was!

Trans-Tasman satisfaction at a collecting policy of restraint was understandable and of course was privately expressed. Auckland misunderstanding and contempt, however short-sighted, was wounding. Some time in June an article on the Library appeared, allegedly, in the Auckland Star (the original article has not so far been traced) stating that 'prominent people in Auckland' had expressed disapproval of the 'proposal to increase the Library' which was itself a 'mistake as it should have been attached to the Parliamentary Library'. The building was quite unsuited for library purposes although it would be most appropriate for a ministerial residence for which purpose it could be freed if the books were transferred to the Parliamentary Library. Auckland people did not think the Library was in the same category as the Grey collection but no one suggested that the cost of the latter should be a 'charge on the Consolidated revenue'. 33 The Under-Secretary pointed out the obvious answers regarding Turnbull's will, the fact that the building had in part been specially constructed by Turnbull to house the collection, and even had it been possible to keep the Library with that of the General Assembly Library

'it would still have been necessary to have someone specially in charge . . .' and to catalogue it. The press reference to an 'increase' was explained by a Board of Science and Art recommendation that the Government should acquire a site adjoining the Library 'for the establishment of a general scientific library'. 34 The librarian himself the following year urged the acquisition of a 'small block adjacent. . . about which I wrote some time ago' and then on the market as a site for future expansion 3s but nothing was done. He brought up the question of additions at different times during his term of office, but of course no action was taken about the suggestions nor were the national science library proposals followed up. In 1924, prompted by press discussion urging greater use of the General Assembly Library, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Honourable R. F. Bollard, drew attention to Turnbull as an alternative most suited for better use by students and continued in a tone of somewhat startling naivete. 'I must say that as Ministerial head of the Library my inspection of it last week was more interesting than I expected . . . The Library is kept in beautiful order and very careful attention is paid ... to visitors. It is possible for anybody to handle and peruse, under cosy conditions, the most rare book in the library . . .' 36

The financial administration of Government was not unmindful of Mr Wilson's restriction of scope. In 1923 there was a brush with Treasury which queried a number of quite reasonable purchases. It was possible, nevertheless, to buy three Heaphy originals (three of four depicting Rangitoto Island) from Francis Edwards for in October 1921, probably from the grant noted earlier, although four months later two Meryon New Zealand drawings had to be declined 'in view of the present economic position'. A minute by the librarian needs no comment: 'I saw the Minister & told him we were too late: the pictures had been purchased by the Mitchell Library.' In June 1923 37 the Librarian again raised the possibility of an increase in staff, commenting with almost surprising pungency: '. . . I presume it is the wish that the library should be kept alive . . .' An assistant was needed so that the 'historical side can be attended to properly . . . A great box of Samoan records which I have not even opened . . . the McNab papers

But his greatest acquisition battle was over the set of Gould's Birds of Australia. Early in 1930, after the onset of the Great Depression, although before its first effects were being applied administratively, Andersen had the opportunity of acquiring privately a set for As far as can be ascertained represented the peak annual Library book budget before the slump so additional funds were clearly needed. But they were difficult to raise. In a memorandum to the Under-Secretary in October he confessed

his dilemma. ‘Realizing that it might be too much to expect the Government to spend on one set of books... I have attempted to raise part of the price privately. So far I have nearly -£4O in hand . . . The depression set in however . . . and now it is increasingly difficult to secure contributions . . . As, however, the vendor is pressing for payment, I can only come to the Government ... I have secured many hundreds of pounds worth of donations during the last few years, and trust that the Government will recognize this one liability I have incurred. I recognize that it is a considerable one at this time, and must cry Peccavi, but the volumes will be a decided acquisition . . .’ 38 There must have been some painful discussion after this approach for the next letter is a further one from the Librarian: 39 ‘.. . I saw Dr Scholefield as to the Parliament Library assisting temporarily to the extent of jT 100 but he said that he had talked it over with his Chairman and he thought that if such an arrangement were to come to the Committee [it] might decide that if the -£IOO could be done without the grant for that Library was -£IOO too much, and he could not therefore help me.’ The vendor had now agreed to take before the end of the year and the balance after 31 March. Andersen had paid him the .£4O already collected.

There was no immediate response on paper to this except a parallel warning that ‘when economy is being practised in every direction’ his private telephone subscription could cease to be an official charge ‘without undue interference with your official duties.’ 40 In April 1931 he made representations to the Minister of Internal Affairs and sent a copy to the Prime Minister. The Honourable G. W. Forbes, on 14 April, said that he would be glad to confer with Mr De la Perelle. However, on the 16th, the Under-Secretary (G. P. Newton) advised that the Minister had spoken to the P.M. again but ‘it is regretted that the payment asked for cannot be granted’.

There was silence until 25 August 1931 when Andersen again wrote to the Under-Secretary reporting that he had tried unsuccessfully to induce other libraries to take the set. The owner had called in that day and said that unless he could make a definite arrangement within a week he would put the matter in the hands of his solicitors. ‘He is willing to take now, with a definite assurance of the balance being paid in instalments and whilst the library vote is comatose just now ... it seems to me that -£SO is an account it could easily bear.’ He hoped that Cabinet might be induced to reconsider its previous decision. Four days later he confirmed that the vendor would take payment in four instalments through to October 1932. The threat of legal action, however, was decisive for on 25 September the Under-Secretary advised that Cabinet had now approved the purchase and payment had been made. The last blow was still to be parried for in August 1933 Andersen was

asked to comment on the fact that a set had been sold the previous June at Sotheby’s for £4O. 41 He made a spirited reply pointing out the varying aspects of completeness, condition, etc. He would be consoled were it possible for him to know that a set from its catalogued description in no way superior to the splendid Turnbull holding which he acquired was sold at Sotheby’s on 22 June 1970 for -£6,800. The greatest humiliation, however, would have been the approach to Dr Scholefield who for four years was Advisory Director in succession to Wilson, until Andersen’s fervent protests led to a cancellation. Wilson had reported three times as Advisory Director in 1919, 1920 and 1921/22 the last report being a joint effort with the librarian. Although he did not retire until 1926 he had been away from the General Assembly Library for some time on account of ill health and Andersen might reasonably have expected that he would be allowed henceforth to go it alone. After all he already had a Minister and an Under-Secretary.

His first hopes, however, were to succeed Wilson. In a letter to the Speaker dated 6 October 1925 he reminded the Honourable C. E. Statham of a conversation on the subject and the promise allegedly made by Statham on Andersen’s appointment to the Parliamentary Library that ‘in eight years time, on the retirement of Mr Wilson, I might look forward to taking his place’. 42 At the time of his appointment to Turnbull he understood that the move did not mean a severance from the General Assembly Library and he could ‘still step back later on’. Rather surprisingly in view of what he was to say a little later in the same context he gave it as his opinion that ‘with the appointment of a junior only, the two libraries could still be run as one, the present first Assistant of the Parliament Library and myself dividing our time between the two with economical result and efficient service’. There does not appear to have been any response to these seemingly praiseworthy anticipations of later generation national library proposals and on 20 November he wrote again. He recalled the promise made to him by the Honourable F. M. B. Fisher, then Minister in charge of the Legislative Department, and again referred to his suggestion to administer the two libraries jointly. On 18 February he followed it up with a letter to the Honourable Downie Stewart, describing his surprise and shock on seeing the position advertised at a salary of £SOO per annum - Wilson had been receiving £690 plus his Turnbull Advisory Directorship allowance and another of a similar kind.

His shock was probably equalled by that of the successful applicant who apparently protested to some effect. Dr G. H. Scholefield was appointed as from 17 May 1926 at a salary of £SOO per annum rising to £6OO by £25 annual increments. To give him an income approaching

that of his predecessor he was appointed, in June, Advisory Director of the Alexander Turnbull Library at £SO per annum and Controller of Dominion Archives at £2OO per annum. 43 'The Doctor', as he became known to his colleagues, prior to his appointment had been editor and director of the Wairarapa Age and was a journalist of some distinction. He had published in a number of fields and he had obtained the rare qualification for those days of a doctorate, but had no library experience. Not that Andersen would yield much even on the grounds of scholarship. After the award of his own Fellowship of the New Zealand Institute he had written hopefully to the Under-Secretary 'As this is reckoned the equivalent, or more than the equivalent of the dsc degree, I should be pleased if the Commissioners could be notified in view of any salary readjustments that may take place'. 44

However, on learning of the Doctor's appointment as Advisory Director the landscape changed entirely. Andersen wrote through his Minister a strongly worded letter of five foolscap pages to the Prime Minister, the Honourable J. G. Coates. 45 On receiving notification of Dr Scholefield's appointment as 'Advising Director' he had seen the Under-Secretary to ask if his work was unsatisfactory and whether he (the Under-Secretary) had been consulted as to the necessity of the appointment. Mr Newton had said 'No' but he could do nothing. Andersen went into the responsibilities of his position in great detail and what he had done for the Library, his development of its services, his personal standing as a writer and as an authority on scholarly matters, the number of donors, the exacting reference questions. The new appointee had had no library experience - 'I am rather in the position of being able to advise him, seeing that I have had experience both in the Parliament Library and the Alexander Turnbull Library. The latter contains more than two-thirds as many books as the former, and is at least eight times the value.' After a due interval and a reminder, an interim reply from the Honourable Downie Stewart (4 October 1926) assured the librarian that his case had not been overlooked but the Honourable Mr Nosworthy (Minister in Charge of the Legislative Department) had said that the 'matter is not free from difficulty'. Three days later he was formerly advised that no alteration could be made to the arrangement 46 nor did the Public Service Commissioner consider his present salary and the increments which he had received other than 'fair and reasonable'.

In June 1927 Andersen wrote to Sir Francis Bell 47 who was politely unhelpful. However, he succeeded in obtaining an interview with the Prime Minister and subsequently wrote 48 to Sir Maui Pomare as Acting Prime Minister and again to Mr Coates the following year. Following the August letter there was an interview between Mr Andersen, the Prime Minister and the Public Service Commissioner at which Mr

Coates apparently promised that a 'satisfactory arrangement' would be made. His salary would be raised to which became operative but nothing happened about the Advisory Directorship. 'My objection ... is not so much to the office as the persons to whom it has been given; the first holder of the position never once visited the library in his official capacity, and only three or four times in any capacity - and then only to bring friends to see the books. The same is true of the second holder. I am perfectly ready and willing to consult with the Parliament Librarian whenever there is need for it - but not to go to him for advice when I know perfectly well I know more about the matters concerned than he does.' 49

The Under-Secretary, being helpful, said that if it was decided to abolish the Advisory Directorship it would be necessary to make some provision for the additional £SO which could be done by adding it to the as Controller of Dominion Archives. 50 After further high level discussion Charles Statham addressed a memorandum to the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, on the subject in which he took the view that it was wrong in principle for an officer of the Legislative Department to hold other positions under other state departments. The Advisory Directorship was a mere sinecure and Andersen had been for years past 'quietly collecting and preserving Archives and historical papers of all kinds', and anyway Internal Affairs was the proper place for this activity. Both positions should be given to Andersen, with an officer of the Department to assist with the Archives. Scholefield should retain his position of Chief Librarian at per annum. There does not appear to have been any reaction to these suggestions and certainly no change was made about archives.

However, in the end his wish was granted but not, it should be noted, because of the justice of his claims, the preoccupations of the Legislature or the integrity of the Turnbull Library - but simply for a characteristically New Zealand reason of economy. The final minute merely recorded that 'This is being finalised by Economy Committee .. . 23.2.3i'. 51 The Advisory Directorship terminated. The 19205, however, were not all penury, administrative frustration and a power struggle for autonomy. There were friends - and donations. As early as October 1919 the Librarian had advised the UnderSecretary of the inauguration of a donation book 52 prompted by gifts from Herbert Baillie and Judge Chapman. Sir Frederick Chapman was an excellent friend who gave much but above all permitted the Librarian to copy letters of his father H. S. Chapman for posterity. The precedent established by this undertaking with that of the typing of the Marsden Journal for the Mitchell Library gave the Librarian some strength in his plea for additional staff to undertake this labour, a campaign which was more successful after the depression when a full

copy-typing programme was inaugurated. This would be supplanted, only a generation later, by the xerox machine and copy microfilm, Then there was the Russell Duncan photograph collection, Percy Smith books and manuscripts, the W. H. Triggs donation and the high spot for the decade, the Mantell collection about which the Librarian rather hopefully wrote: 'A booklet is in preparation which will include a list of the books and letters.' 53

And in 1926 W. F. Barraud had presented his father's collection of 196 water colours, perhaps following Percy Hodgkins who the year before had donated some important W. M. Hodgkins items. The period closed appropriately with a donation by Bishop H. W. Williams of 400 volumes of Maori language material. The Librarian even thought up an ingenious proposal by which the book fund could be enhanced by the value of donations. It did not find favour.

In 1930-31 and 1932 the rays of hope on money and staffing which had appeared fitfully during the clouded years behind were extinguished altogether. Misses Davidson, Hardie and Woodhouse supported the Librarian throughout this period and kept the precarious life-line of service operating. Perhaps even they were really unnecessary for we find Andersen making a spirited rejoinder: 'So far from any of the assistants being supernumerary I have before reported that more assistance is necessary, and the position is becoming more and more acute.' 54 Small sums of money were obtainable only after a prolonged struggle and the Librarian was undoubtedly cowed by the Gould contretemps noted earlier. Even the renewal of individual periodical subscriptions needed the approval of the Under-Secretary, and there was a battle in April-May 1933 for the few remaining. 55 Prior to the onset of the depression the annual sum available appears to have been 56 but for the year 1929/30 the amount spent was .£92 165 3d. More pathetically the Librarian sent a list of proposed purchases forward on 4 March 1931. 'As you know I have not sent in any list for some time so this is an accumulation.' The Under-Secretary advised on the 10th that the Minister had minuted the paper: 'Matter to stand over until the new financial year.' And it kept standing over beyond that watershed. Perhaps not too much should be made of the careful filing without visible response, mark or blemish of a departmental routine request for a contribution from Turnbull staff towards a retirement present to two under-secretaries. 57

But as yet unrecognised, the embodiment of young masculine vigour with potential strength, if not salvation, was around the corner. Andersen in 1933 was sixty years of age and had forty-six years of superannuation service. The question of a successor was worrying even the Department. The Librarian on 30 June 1933 reported to the Undersecretary: 58 ‘I have seen Mr Taylor referred to in your Memo and wish

to say that my first impressions are quite favourable.' Better still, when C. R. H. Taylor took up duties shortly afterwards the Carnegie Corporation of New York was amenable to the suggestion that the potential inheritor of this senior position should share in the new programme for Library Fellowships in the United States. In 1934-35 Mr Taylor was able to gain invaluable experience and even see scholarly libraries which had front doors that were kept open, reading rooms and even effective catalogues.

1934 was equally notable in two other respects. It was the year of the Munn-Barr report. Ralph Munn of the Carnegie Free Library of Pittsburgh and John Barr were an excellent team. The building, the catalogue and the inadequate staffing were specially commented upon. '. . . a home and private library for its owner . . . not suitable for its present purpose . . . The classification and cataloguing are inadequate. There is hope that the recently appointed assistant librarian, who is at present studying in America . . . will improve conditions upon his return . . .' 59 But Andersen found vindication in at least one matter - 'For a collection of this nature, a much larger staff is needed.' In Great Britain or America a staff at least twice the size would be found. And the Surveyors concluded with their well-known recommendation that with the General Assembly Library 'it should form the nucleus of the proposed national Library.' - no resurrection of advisory directorships - simply an outright partnership.

But more peculiarly Turnbullian was the bequest of £IOO by Sir George and Lady Shirtcliffe as the nucleus of the ATL Endowment Trust. An impressive Trust deed formally established the Board which henceforward ‘shall stand possessed of the said sum of one hundred pounds . . . and all other moneys hereafter received . . .’lt was to be many years before there were any significant accretions; for years there was no reference whatever to it in the Annual Report; but after the war bequests, donations, profits from print sales and other sources helped the fund forward over the five-figure barrier. 1935 saw yet another change of vital interest to the Library. There was a new Under-Secretary. The Economic Crisis for many New Zealanders was far from over but there were grounds for hope even in the repressed consciousness of Turnbull’s Librarian. Encouraged, possibly pushed, by his young assistant back from the States and full of ideas, he wrote yet again: ‘... We have been steadily going back as regards current books... I would point out that during the year I was repeatedly discouraged from recommending books for purchase . . .’ There was a direct and encouraging reply under the initials J.W.H. Joseph William Allan Heenan was interested and helpful; the wheels slowly began to go forward again. His often-repeated, forthright and earthy comments on first seeing Mr Andersen’s three tables (described

by Miss Woodhouse in her article) bespoke in a more general context the end of an era. But Heenan, too, had his blind spots; the tidying up of the Turnbull Library, getting it a reasonable minimal post-depression staff and funds was a straight administrative job; when the Librarian had helped him do this the Librarian would be ready to do other things, hence the curious and anomalous involvement of that person in film censoring which persisted for some twenty years. A decade later for example, we find one almost testy frustrated comment from the kindliest of colleagues: 'I have made several attempts to get you on the telephone but always seem to strike one of the days when you are busy with films . . .' 60

Meanwhile things continued to look up; in 1936 there was even direct ordering from publishers - an almost revolutionary step, and a little earlier a very bold decision to place a subscription for Sotheby's auction catalogues. The Library could never catch up with Sydney but it might manage not to get further behind.

The showing of visitors round the building was another of the last Andersen ditches to be filled if not to the top at least to within a few inches. In February 1936 the Librarian wrote to the Under-Secretary reporting that there had been over 300 visitors during January, '[they] get from half an hour to two hours or more according to the interest shewn by them'. 61 In future, exhibition cases would reduce if not yet eliminate this time-consuming chore and reduce unnecessary handling of the Library's treasures - And the culminating short-term triumph of the new order: Taylor as Acting Librarian reported on 30 September 1936: 'Since I have had the door open (in the last six weeks or so) many people have been encouraged to visit the Library.' 62 With the formal retirement of Andersen at the end of the year and the appointment of Taylor as his successor the new order became fully effective. There was, slowly, more staff, improved routines; indexes even, for things that no one had thought of using before better cataloguing - but why did it have to be the multigraph - improved acquisitions for which there was almost but not quite a policy; more exciting manuscripts. Although the stimulus of centennial-induced research was offset by the threat and actuality of war the ground gained was substantially held until 1945.

Are we to sum up; to pronounce on trends? Was the seeming neglect only one of ignorance or national poverty and not of jealousy or malevolence? In modern parlance was there at some point a 'crisis of confidence' in Johannes Carl Andersen, this antipodean polymath - who in a number of his activities we feel strongly has been undervalued - and hence indifference to his institution? Perhaps there were occasions (little touched on in these notes) when he appears confused about priorities in his various interests. The presumption of judgement,

however, is to be avoided and not simply because of the warning in the first verse of the seventh chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. Are we ourselves more or less culpable? For the present the point of view of this article, the selection of facts, the juxtaposition of non-events and negative decisions on the vital issues, it is hoped, are reasonably clear.

NOTES AND REFERENCES (Unless otherwise stated file references to 1923 are to I.A. 13/300) 1 1 am indebted to Mr J. O. Wilson for the details of staff in the General Assembly Library at the time and to Mr Stuart Perry for assistance in estimating the number employed in the Wellington Public Libraries. These notes with their references to Mr Charles Wilson had been prepared before Professor J. C. Beaglehole delivered his address but his impressions confirm rather than contradict my own tentative inferences. 2 Mr M. G. Hitchings, Hocken Librarian, has kindly supplied details of Mr Trimble’s service in the Hocken and University of Otago Libraries, largely from notes prepared by Miss E. J. Robinson. 3 Cabinet decision of 13 July 1918 on I.A. file 13/300, Bequest of the late A. H. Turnbull. 4 The purchase price is given variously as -£9,133 and £9,153. 5 Board of Science and Art: Meetings and recommendations; file I.A. 2/48/4: meeting 26 October 1921 and Under-Secretary to Librarian 1/8/21 on 13/300. I am again indebted to MissJ. Homabrook and other members of staff of the National Archives for locating files and particularly to Mr J. D. Pascoe, Chief Archivist, for permission to quote from them. 6 Under-Secretary to General Manager, State Fire Insurance 30 January 1919. Measures were also taken to provide additional fire protection within the building. 7 Advisory Director to Under-Secretary 16 July 1919. B Librarian to Under-Secretary 3 March 1919. 9 New Zealand Listener 27 October 1944. 10 I.A. file 2/48/4. The file date of 1913 is clearly a mistake for 1919. 11 Ibid and Evening Post 24 June 1919. 12 Librarian to Under-Secretary 29 April 1919. 13 Advisory Director to Under-Secretary 16 July 1919. 14 A.T.L. file - and A -J:H. 22 1919 PP3O-31. 15 Opinion 30 July 1919 on 13/300. 16 N.Z.P.D. vol 188 p 302 6 October 1920, with reports of other speakers on recommendation of Public Petitions Committee. 17 A -J: B 7 1922 pio9. The estimates for this period show a modest £1,500 provided for all the purposes of the Turnbull Library with the addition of £SO for Mr Wilson’s allowance. 18 Librarian to Advisory Director 19/9/19. 19 The following references cover steps in the review being undertaken, although details of what subscriptions were actually terminated are not listed but can be traced from breaks in the holdings: Under-Secretary to Advisory Director 26 August 1919; to Minister of Internal Affairs 14 October 1919 and Librarian to Under-Secretary 29 October 1919. 20 Order Paper 16 November 1918 and N.Z.P.D. vol 183 ppi 103-4.

21 N.Z.P.D. vol 184 p6oB 17 September 1919. 22 Ibid vol 185 pi6o 8 October 1919. 23 1. A. 13/300. 24 Evening Post 29 June 1920. 2S E. Tregear. The Archives of New Zealand in Monthly Review vol 2 pp602~5 1890 and New Zealand Times 5 December 1902. 26 Evening Post 1 July 1909 p 6. 27 Ibid 7 August 1909. 28 Under-Secretary to Librarian and to James Cowan 7 July 1920 on 13/300. 29 Librarian to Under-Secretary 6 November 1928. 30 A-J: H. 22 1921/22 p 24. 31 Ibid 1922 p 9. 32 Mitchell Library MS 61/1/02 20 March 1922. I wish to express my thanks to Mr G. D. Richardson, Principal Librarian and Mitchell Librarian, Sydney, for permission to quote this extract. 33 Under-Secretary to Minister of Internal Affairs 30 June 1922. One hopes that the literary editor of the Star, Alan Mulgan, in later life a strong friend of the Library, had no part in this article. 34 Ibid. 35 Librarian to Under-Secretary 26 July 1923. 36 New Zealand Times 12 May 1924 p 7. 37 Librarian to Under-Secretary 5 June 1923 and reply 12 June on I.A. 13/27/45. 38 Librarian to Under-Secretary 2 October 1930, on A.T.L. file 2/2. 39 Ibid 28 November 1930, ibid. 40 Under-Secretary to Librarian 4 February 1931, ibid. 41 Ibid 26 August 1933, ibid. 42 Librarian to Honourable C. E. Statham 6 October 1925 on I.A. 3/10. 43 P.5.C. file 4/53805. 44 Librarian to Under-Secretary 5 June 1923. 45 Librarian to Prime Minister 13 July 1926 on I.A. 3/10. 46 Minister in Charge, Legislative Department to Librarian 7 October 1926. 47 Librarian to Sir F. D. Bell 3 June 1927, ibid. 48 Librarian to Acting Prime Minister 9 September 1927 and Librarian to Prime Minister 11 June 1928, ibid. 49 Librarian to Under-Secretary 1 July 1929. 50 Under-Secretary to Minister of Internal Affairs 10 July 1929 on P.S.C. file 4/53805. 51 Speaker to Prime Minister 19 August 1929, ibid. 52 Librarian to Under-Secretary 21 October 1929. S3 A-J: H. 22, 1928, p 6. 54 Librarian to Under-Secretary 1 October 1930 on A.T.L. file 5/1. The Under-Secretary had suggested that the services of one or more assistants might be unnecessary. 55 A.T.L. file 2/3. 56 Under-Secretary to Librarian 13 July 1929 on A.T.L. file 2/2. 57 A.T.L. file 5/1. The Under-Secretaries in question were Messrs P. G. Newton (in May 1931) and Malcolm Fraser (in February 1935). SB I.A. file 13/300/65. 59 Munn-Barr Report, 1934, p 3360 W. S. Wauchop to C. R. H. Taylor 12 February 1948 on A.T.L. file 4/2. 61 Librarian to Under-Secretary 7 February 1936 on A.T.L. file. 62 A.T.L. file 4/4-