ARCHIVAL PROBLEMS IN SOUTH AFRICA. 485 



staff merely clerical assistants. To a great extent it is a scientific 

 institution. It is the preparation ground of the material for 

 the historical scholar. Conditions in South Africa are somewhat 

 different from what they are in Europe, where archivism is a 

 profession, and the preparation of a number of students every 

 year to fill posts in the various archives is justifiable. But that 

 does not lessen the important necessity of having some system 

 by which the future archivist in South Africa should have some 

 knowledge of the work that lies before him. 



When an archive collection has been properly housed and 

 inventoried by a competent staff, then the student claims our 

 attention. What are his rights? What facilities should he have, 

 All civilised countries have recognised the right of their citizens 

 to use the archives under certain restrictions. After the Govern- 

 ment's interests have been safeguarded and proper regulations 

 drawn up for the use of the records, every facility should be granted 

 to the bona-fide research worker. Up to what date should 

 public records be open for inspection, and should any restrictions 

 be placed on those that are available? These are important 

 questions. All countries have a limitation upon the accessibility 

 of their records, and rightly so. Some countries allow greater 

 latitude than others in this respect. I am of opinion that as 

 great latitude as possible should be allowed to historical students. 

 It would serve no useful purpose to suppress records of historical 

 value, or to conceal documentary evidence. It would be well 

 that, when a document has reached a certain age from the date 

 of its making, it should be open for inspection. In France, 

 •except in particular instances, where special reservations have 

 been made, documents may be communicated to any French 

 citizen after fifty years have elapsed. 



While the use of the records may be accorded to the bona- 

 fide student, there yet remains the serious problem of the actual 

 handling of the papers, for which definite and strict regu- 

 lations must be drawn up. Experience of the European archives 

 has shown the necessity of this, and every country has some rules 

 to which the student has to adhere or forfeit the privilege given 

 him of searching the papers. Rules are laid down relating to 

 the number of documents allowed to a worker at one time, to 

 the making of tracings or photographs, to the removal of any 

 papers from the Search Room, to the removal of any volumes 

 from the shelves, and the entering of the repository in which 

 the archives are kept by any of the public except when accom- 

 panied by one of the archive's staff, and to the actual handling 

 of the papers. All these and other restrictions as to what 

 the reader can and must do are matters of the utmost importance. 



But with these few facts before us I trust that you will 

 perceive that the subject of the development of our archives in 

 South Africa is one that will require our very serious attention. 

 If we in this country fully realise and appreciate the great valuo 

 and wealth of our authentic records, then we must acknowledge 

 that it is our bounden duty to endeavour as far as our resources 



