68
thereon."
D.A. GRIFFITHS AND S.P. LAU
By this time Ford's time had to be divided between running the Botanic Gardens, establishing the herbarium and collecting specimens for both of these undertakings. Realising his own limitation he asked for the appointment of an assistant and a Mr. Westland arrived in the colony in May 1883. Earlier in February of that year Ford, anticipating the arrival of an assistant and the possible rapid expansion of the herbarium, sent the following letter to Kew:
"Could you also please send me sample of cartridge paper which you use for herbarium sheets, 16” × 10½”, together with prices and name of supplier? The Crown Agents sometimes disappoint me by sending paper unfit for our use and not according to samples sent with order."
Ford met with a constant barrage of difficulties from Government officials particularly from the Surveyor-General, Mr. Price and from members of the finance committee. Fortunately the Governor, Sir George F. Bowen, supported Ford and a letter by Ford written on 9/5/83 confirms this:
"H.E. was very pleased with what he saw and he has been very good to my dept. since he came. He offered to let me have at once another $1,000 for the completion of our New Gardens.
"(He [Mr. Price] wrote to the Governor before the Governor had been a fortnight in the Colony and asked him to reverse Sir J. Hennessy's policy (which had, as you know, been confirmed by the Sec. of State) in reference to my and his departments. The Governor told him that he did not see any reason to disturb the arrangement which his predecessor had made. Sir George told me he had visited the Gardens and that they did me very great credit.)"
Later in the same year Ford again met official opposition, this
68
thereon."
D.A. GRIFFITHS AND S.P. LAU
By this time Ford's time had to be divided between running the Botanic Gardens, establishing the herbarium and collecting speci- mens for both of these undertakings. Realising his own limitation he asked for the appointment of an assistant and a Mr. Westland arrived in the colony in May 1883. Earlier in Febru- ary of that year Ford, anticipating the arrival of an assistant and the possible rapid expansion of the herbarium, sent the following letter to Kew:
"Could you also please send me sample of cartridge paper which you use for herbarium sheets, 16” × 101⁄2”, together with prices and name of supplier? The Crown Agents sometimes disappoint me by sending paper un- fit for our use and not according to samples sent with order."
Ford met with a constant barrage of difficulties from Government officials particularly from the Surveyor-General, Mr. Price and from members of the finance committee. Fortunately the Gover- nor, Sir George F. Bowen, supported Ford and a letter by Ford written on 9/5/83 confirms this:
"H.E. was very pleased with what he saw and he has been very good to my dept. since he came. He offered to let me have at once another $1,000 for the comple- tion of our New Gardens.
"(He [Mr. Price] wrote to the Governor before the Governor had been a fortnight in the Colony and asked him to reverse Sir J. Hennessy's policy (which had, as you know, been confirmed by the Sec. of State) in refer- ence to my and his departments. The Governor told him that he did not see any reason to disturb the ar- rangement which his predecessor had made. Sir George told me he had visited the Gardens and that they did me very great credit.)"
Later in the same year Ford again met official opposition, this
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