24

FOURTH DAY.—Thursday, 12th April.

Morninc.

Devoted to the Group Language Committees. The Text-book Committee also sat.

AFTERNOON.

Mr. Hussey read the minutes of the Text-book Committee, which are attached as Appendix II to this report.

The report of the Committee was taken by stages.

Minute 1. Aims.

This was agreed to by the Conference.

Minute 2. Method. Some discussion took place as to the participation by Mission authorities in the choice of material and the exact functions of the Education Officer.

THE CHAIRMAN suggested that in a resolution adopting the minute it should be stated that the Education Department should work in collaboration with the Mission authorities.

The Conference felt that inquiries should be made as to where printing could be most conveniently and cheaply done. It might prove that Khartoum would not be the cheapest place.

ARCHDEACON SHaw suggested that there might be societies in England which would assist.

Minute 3. Text-books Required. The Conference passed this minute subject to certain alterations agreed to by the Text-book Committee.

Minute 4. Linguistic Expert. The Conference discussed this question in connection with Minute 6, and it is referred to below.

Minute 5. News-sheets.

The Conference accepted this minute.

Minute 6. Grammars, etc., for non-Natives.

This minute and that dealing with the linguistic expert were discussed at length.

As a result of this discussion it appeared that for the purpose of producing grammars and vocabularies for the use of Missionaries and Officials, which the Conference thought desirable, a linguistic expert would be of great use, but, as pointed out by ProrEssor WESTERMANN and Mr. HIL.eLson, a linguistic expert for this purpose should be a man who was acquainted with African languages generally and who had been trained in the principles of phonetics, the science of linguistics and anthropology, and not necessarily one who possessed a detailed practical SOUTHS. of all the languages with which he might deal.