From Samuel Bindon   15 February 1871

Industrial & Technoloigical Museum

15th Feb. 1870.1

Sir

I have the honor to address you on the subject of your last letter2 & I do so in order to prevent any misunderstanding, and if I express myself decidedly it is for this purpose

1 First, I must disclaim on my own part and the part of the Committee any "distrust" towards you, — I doubt if there be any number of Gentlemen in the country all located together who hold a higher opinion of your great scientific attainments and who desire more to honor science in your person than we do

2 Permit me to express our opinion in stating that we believe it to be a portion of the duties of a state botanist to aid in making a state botanical collection for the use of the public, such as we are endeavouring to do and that all services in this capacity are for the state and not for the Trustees personally and we believe the Government coincide in this opinion

3 Now for some details. We believe that the labels attached to the specimens of woods by the skilled workman employed in the Museum are put on far better than the labels which by your orders were placed on by some other person and therefore we must hesitate to employ a stranger when we have a competent man, paid by the crown, on the premises, who is able to perform the work satisfactorily

4. We paid for the printing of labels in multiple quantity and simply requested that a few of those which we paid for should be at our disposal — not unreasonable I think.

Any more printed labels which we pay for must be stored here, and no labels printed unless the copy is first seen as many already printed could have been more cheaply written for example labels of caster oil […] drugs were not wanting in duplicate and labels yet appear to have been printed.

5 The Committee decline paying any gentleman weekly wages Mr Hoffmann was an exceptional case not to be repeated

6 If you are unable to identify the woods & to supply their names etc, without an amanuensis you will oblige by stating the sum of money required for that purpose, and thus let us know what it will cost.

7. If you prepare copies of the labels we will have them printed or written which ever may be the most desirable

8. If you feel indisposed to assist us it is only for us to express our regret, and although the Committee will be unable to have your very valuable assistance which they so much desire they must only then apply in other quarters and endeavour to get the wood collection described as best they can

I have the honor to be

Sir

Your obedient Servant

[…]3

Chairman

Dr F. Von Mueller

&c &c &c

The date is clearly an error, as the letter is an answer to M to M. Clarke, 12 February 1871 (in this edition as 71-02-12a).
Letter not found.
No signature on copy.

Please cite as “FVM-71-02-15,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells accessed on 28 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/71-02-15