Notes and Comments. 245 



the somewhat original subjects, ' Museums and Education,' 

 and ' War Museums,' were read and discussed. But as to the 

 results of this Conference the daily press (except for a brief 

 report in a Sheffield paper), the scientific, technical and museum 

 journals, remained silent. Consequently it looked as if the 

 world was not to benefit from the deUberations of these wise 

 men. 



A CIRCULAR. 



But, on February 19th, we received a circular to say that 

 a ' Report ' of the Conference held at Sheffield in October, 1917, 

 would be ready for distribution in March, 1918, and from the 

 number of copies said to have been already subscribed for, 

 it was evident that each person present at the Conference 

 was liable to be guilty of paper-hoarding. However, we 

 read : — ' in order to decide the extent of the issue which is 

 likely to be required for the British Empire and America the 

 Editor would be obliged if you would kindly let him know 

 before the end of February how many copies you may wish to 

 take.' How our friends in America, Cape Colony, India and 

 Australia were to receive their circulars and reply to them 

 within 9 days, we do not know, neither can we understand 

 why the Esquimaux, the Chinese and the South Sea Islanders 

 should have been debarred from the Sheffield feast of wisdom 

 and flow of soul. Anyway, we ran the risk of immediately 

 ordering our copy, and then, with the patience of a man 

 fasting in a wilderness for forty days and forty nights, only 

 three times as long, we waited for the Report. We next 

 received a printed form bearing the names of the Editor and 

 Treasurer, dated Jjine 2yth, to the effect that the Report was 

 now ready, price 2/6* and would be sent ' immediately on 

 receipt of remittance.' We at once arranged an overdraft 

 at our bankers, forwarded the money, and by July ist, the 

 Report, in a quite ordinary wrapper, and not registered, was 

 received. And on the evening of July ist, we had read, 

 marked, learned and inwardly digested its contents, and yet 

 live. 



THE REPORT. 



By the aid of occasional blank pages, half-page blanks, 

 ample spaces between each paragraph, well-spaced lines, lists of 

 towns represented, and of delegates, a reprint of ' an Abridged 

 Catalogue of Loan Collections of Museum Cabinets .... and 

 the conditions under which they are issued ' (presumably at 

 Sheffield), letters and lists of persons who were ' unfortunately 

 unable to be present,' and verbatim reports of the papers and 

 the talks thereon, the Report extends to 103 pages, though in 



* A welcome surprise, as the first circular stated the price would be 

 3/- after March ist. 



1938 Aug. 1. 



