Royal Commission into the state of the records

Report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the state of the records in the public departments of the Dominion of Canada, in 1912, Ottawa: Printed by J. De L. Taché, 1914.

The actual 7-page report of the commission was submitted by the commissioners to the Governor-in-Council on 3 March 1914. Arthur G. Doughty was one of the three commissioners appointed to the Royal Commission, who signed the report.

The order-in-council to establish the commission was dated 9 November 1912, as per the recommendation contained in the report of the Committee of the Privy Council, 29 October 1912. The purpose of the commission was to ascertain the nature and extent of the records; their state of preservation; the use made of them in conducting public business; the state of the buildings and places wherein the documents are deposited; the space they occupy; the facilities of access thereto by the Departments of the Government and by the public, and of the control exercised over the said records.

The report had been printed as a separate publication in 1914, and then also printed as a separate publication in 1924. In the Canada Sessional Paper 1925 (Volume 5), it is noted that 106 copies of the Report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the state of the records of the Public Departments of the Dominion of Canada (in 1912) were printed in 1924, each copy consisted of 16 pages.

The Wilson Collection contains a copy of the separately printed Report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the state of records of the Public Departments of the Dominion of Canada, 1914. The Wilson Collection copy which has a paper cover, was reviewed; select images are pictured above. Copy of the report printed in 1924 held by LAC (OCLC #797068321) was also reviewed. Digital copy of original signed report held by the Privy Council Office (Canada), is available through the Government of Canada website; select image is pictured above.