NOTES ON THE CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES. 241
Association with regard to it. The Museums Association met once a year, and
everyone who had attended their meetings had admitted their value in enabling
curators to exchange ideas on all questions of museum arrangement and manage-
ment. Mr. W. H. Mills also testified to the thoroughness with which all subjects
connected with museums were discussed at meetings of the Museums Association,
and Mr. J. W. Carr said that some years ago a sub-committee of the Museums
Association was appointed to report upon a scheme very similar to that of Prof.
Petrie, but without any practical result having been attained. Were it again
brought forward there with the weight of Prof. Petrie's authority in its favour
it would probably have a happier fate.
On the other hand, Prof. Johnson, while thinking that it would be a good thing
to have the opinion of the Museums Association on Prof. Petrie's scheme, thought
that the scheme would have a bad effect on account of its tendency to convert the
curators of local museums into mere caretakers. He thought the tendency should
be in the other direction. He would rather have specialists in some branch
chosen as curators and given every chance of rising. He knew a case in which a
curator, more than seventy years of age, a specialist in three or four branches, who
had done much good wort, was then living in the north of Ireland on a salary
£70 per annum. This man had to dust the tables, open the door, and, in short,
to perform all the duties of a mere caretaker.
Prof. Petrie, in reply, said that he by no means wished that curators should be
converted into mere caretakers. But as he very much doubted the possibility of
raising money enough to improve the position of curators as a class, he thought
the amount available would be spent more profitably if the best of the curators
had opportunities of earning more than at present, by being able to render services
at a number of places instead of being confined to one. It would be better to have
a dozen men of science and fifty caretakers than sixty curators each receiving
a very inadequate salary.
The Chairman having asked the representatives of the various
Sections if there were any matters in which they desired the co-oper-
ation of the Corresponding Societies,
Mr. W.W. Watts, representing Section C, said that the Geological
Photographs Committee wished to increase their stock of photo-
graphs. They had received much help from some parts of the
country, but from very large areas no photographs had been sent.
Very few had come from the Eastern Counties. The Erratic Blocks
Committee was also at work, and had received much assistance from
the local societies, which he hoped would continue their help. And
Mr. De Rance hoped that, though the Underground Waters
Committee had ceased to exist, the local societies would take up their
work, recording not only the geological formations pierced through,
but the nature of the water, and its temperature when obtained from
considerable depths.
Mr. Sydney Hartland, representing Section H, addressed the
Conference on behalf of the Ethnographical Survey Committee.