133
27529
SIR,
No. 196.
COLONIAL OFFICE to INDIA OFFICE.
[Answered by No. 203.]
Downing Street, October 4, 1907. WITH reference to my letter of the 5th of May, 1905,* and to subsequent correspondence as to the preparation of illustrated lectures on the United Kingdom for use in the schools of India and the Colonies, I am directed by the Earl of Elgin to state, for the information of Mr. Secretary Morley, that through the good offices of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, assisted by the Countess of Dudley and a committee of ladies, a fund has been raised, as will be seen from the enclosed print, which will enable the Committee on Visual Instruction to proceed with the converse side of the scheme, viz., the preparation of lantern lectures on India and the Colonies for use in the schools of the United Kingdom.
2. Funds being available, a competent photographer-artist has been selected to visit the Colonies and India to collect views and illustrations. The desirability of work of this nature being undertaken by one man under the general direction of Mr. H. J. Mackinder, to whom has been entrusted the preparation of the lectures, has been strongly emphasized, and the Committee are convinced that in no other way would it be possible to secure that uniformity of treatment upon which the success of the enterprise must mainly depend. After careful consideration of the qualifica- tions of various candidates the Committee have selected Mr. A. Hugh Fisher for the post, and he will be employed during the next three years in visiting various parts of the Empire. A copy of his instructions is enclosed.
3. Mr. Fisher will leave for Ceylon by the steamship "Ortona," which is due at Colombo on the 11th of November. From Ceylon he will work northward through India, and return to England via Aden, Somaliland, Cyprus, Malta and Gibraltar. The Governor of Ceylon is being asked that Mr. Fisher may, on his arrival at Colombo, be placed in communication with the Director of Public Instruction, with a view to his being enabled to work under the most favourable conditions, as it is essential to the success of the scheme that the slides which will illustrate the lectures, shall, like the letterpress, be of the best possible quality. With regard to the letterpress, the co-operation of the Indian Government will be invited at a later date.
4. I am to ask that the assistance of the educational authorities in India may be secured for Mr. Fisher, and that he may be given, within reason, all the facilities that he requires; and also that his photographic apparatus, which will probably be elaborate and expensive, and which will require careful handling, may, if possible, be allowed to pass into India without examination by the Customs authorities. I am further to ask that he may be given, if such a concession can be made, a free pass over the Indian railways. Similar requests have been made to the Ceylon Government.
27529
No. 197.
I am, &c.,
C. P. LUCAS.
MR. C. P. LUCAS to MR. R. L. FORBES (THE ROYAL MAIL STEAM PACKET COMPANY).
Downing Street, October 4, 1907.
SIR,
THE Committee on Visual Instruction sitting at this office ask me to convey to the Directors of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company and to yourself an expression of their warm thanks for the promptness and courtesy with which their request for passages for the photographer-artist, Mr. Fisher, to and from Ceylon, has been met.
I am, &c.,
C. P. LUCAS.
27529
SIR;
No. 198.
CEYLON.
THE FARL OF ELGIN to GOVERNOR SIR H. E. McCALLUM. (Miscellaneous.)
Downing Street, October 4, 1907.
I HAVE the honour to invite your attention to the 9th paragraph of my predecessor's despatch, No. 173, of the 28th of April, 1905,* in which allusion was made to the question of the preparation of illustrated lectures on the Colonies for use in the schools of the United Kingdom. I am glad to be in a position to state that the difficulty as regards this part of the scheme, the provision for the necessary initial expenditure, has now been successfully overcome.
2. I enclose, for your information, the accompanying reprint of a noticef to the Press on the subject, from which you will observe that Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, with the assistance of the Countess of Dudley and a Committee of ladies, has secured by private subscription a sum of about £4,000. This amount has been placed at the disposal of the Committee on Visual Instruction sitting at this office, for the purpose of enabling them to proceed with this side of the scheme.
3. Funds thus being available, the next step to be taken was the selection of a competent photographer-artist to visit the Colonies and India to collect views and illustrations. The desirability of work of this nature being undertaken by one man under the general direction of Mr. H. J. Mackinder, to whom has been entrusted the preparation of the lectures, has been strongly emphasized, and the Committee are convinced that in no other way would it be possible to secure that uniformity of treatment upon which the success of the enterprise must mainly depend. After careful consideration of the qualifications of various candidates, the Committee have selected Mr. A. Hugh Fisher for the post, and he will be employed during the next three years in visiting various parts of the Empire.
4. It is proposed that Mr. Fisher shall proceed to Ceylon by the S.S. "Ortona," which is due at Colombo on the 11th of November. From Ceylon he will work northward through India and return to England via Aden, Somaliland, Cyprus, Malta, and Gibraltar. The Committee ask that on his arrival at Colombo he may be placed in communication with the Director of Public Instruction, with a view to his being enabled to work under the most favourable conditions, and I need hardly say that it is essential that the slides illustrative of Ceylon should be of a kind that will convey to the children of the United Kingdom the best possible idea of the Colony in its various aspects. The letterpress which will be required in connexion with the slides will form the subject of communication at a later date, and the co-operation of your Government in the matter will be invited and will no doubt be readily given.
5. Mr. Fisher will be provided in this country with photographic apparatus and materials for his work, and I shall be glad, should such a concession be possible, if instructions can be given for this apparatus, which will require careful handling, to be allowed to pass into the Colony without examination by the Customs authorities. It would also be appreciated if he could be allowed free passages over the railways in the Colony.
6. Mr. Fisher will be guided during his tour by written instructions‡ from Mr. Mackinder, a copy of which I enclose for your information.
7. Mr. Fisher will receive a daily subsistence allowance of £1 on land and 5s. on sea during his absence from England, in addition to actual expenses of locomotion. It is probable that the Crown Agents for the Colonies may ask the Colonial Government to arrange to advance him such sums as may be necessary, the advances to be repaid to the Ceylon account with the Crown Agents.
8. A duplicate of this despatch will be presented to you by Mr. Fisher. I desire to commend him to your good offices during his stay in Ceylon.
I have, &c.,
ELGIN.
[
37132,02: not printed.
† No. 139.
‡ No. 200.
37132: not printed.
↑ No. 139.
‡ No. 200.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TILLLC.O.
+885
17 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
133
No. 198.
CEYLON.
GIN to GOVERNOR SIR H. E. McCALLUM.
Downing Street, October 4, 1907. o invite your attention to the 9th paragraph of my 73, of the 28th of April, 1905,* in which allusion was preparation of illustrated lectures on the Colonies for ited Kingdom. I am glad to be in a position to state this part of the scheme, the provision for the necessary been successfully overcome.
information, the accompanying reprint of a noticet com which you will observe that Her Royal Highness the assistance of the Countess of Dudley and a Committee vate subscription a sum of about £4,000. This amount sal of the Committee on Visual Instruction sitting at enabling them to proceed with this side of the scheme. vailable, the next step to be taken was the selection of tist to visit the Colonies and India to collect views and ity of work of this nature being undertaken by one man of Mr. H. J. Mackinder, to whom has been entrusted res, has been strongly emphasized, and the Committee her way would it be possible to secure that uniformity > success of the enterprise must mainly depend. After qualifications of various candidates, the Committee have r for the post, and he will be employed during the next us parts of the Empire.
Mr. Fisher shall proceed to Ceylon by the S.S. "Ortona," In the 11th of November. From Ceylon he will work nd return to England via Aden, Somaliland, Cyprus,
Committee ask that on his arrival at Colombo he may with the Director of Public Instruction, with a view rk under the most favourable conditions, and I need ial that the slides illustrative of Ceylon should be of a children of the United Kingdom the best possible idea Is aspects. The letterpress which will be required in vill form the subject of communication at a later date, ur Government in the matter will be invited and will
provided in this country with photographic apparatus and I shall be glad, should such a concession be possible, for this apparatus, which will require careful handling, to the Colony without examination by the Customs be appreciated if he could be allowed free passages over guided during his tour by written instructions from hich I enclose for your information.
ceive a daily subsistence allowance of £1 on land and nce from England, in addition to actual expenses of that the Crown Agents for the Colonies may ask the range to advance him such sums as may be necessary,
the Ceylon account with the Crown Agents.
s despatch will be presented to you by Mr. Fisher. I our good offices during his stay in Ceylon.
I have, &c.,
ed.
† No. 139.
‡ No. 200.
ELGIN.
| ?། ༅། ·
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
| | | | | | | |
C.O
Reference :-
+885
COPYRIGHT
17 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO