Letter from Marcus W. Price to Nellie Taylor Ross

Past Must- overdue loans (TR file copy) 25 L JH E m April 27, 1950 Mrs. Mellie Tayloe Ross Director of the Mint nureau of the Mint Treasury Department Washington 25, D. C. Ky dear Mrs. Boss: This will acknowledge your letber of April 24, 1950 with which you transitted a copy of a letter to you from the superintendent of the United States vint at Pilladelphia, Pennsylvania dated March 2h, 1950 in which he requests that the loan of certain specified documents accessioned by the Archivist in April 1947 be continued. In your letter you ask that such action be takon as may be necessary to extend the period of the present loan for at least another year. It 1a a reasonable inference from this statement that, quite possibly, there will be further requests for the extension of the loan of the documents. The National Archives is vary loath to agree to a further OCI- tension of the loan of the above mentioned docusents. Although they wero accessioned with other records of the Burgau of the Mint about three years ago, they have never actually been in the Archivist's phyaical custody. Te have no knowledge as to thoir state of proservation at the present time. Many of thom are vary old and it is a reasonable assump- tion that through normal wear and tear at least somo of these documents are in need of rehabilitation. The Archivist is charged with the responsibility for the preservation of all records in his custody, and he takes this responmibility very seriously. It is felt, therefore, in view of the Archivistis responsibility and of the very great length of time the documents have been on exhibition in Philadelphia, those records should be in the Archivistis physical custody. It is also pointed out that the National Archives has been handicapped in the furnishing of certain reference services on the Philadelphia Mint records by the absence from the collection of certain of the display items, such na the letter books for the period 1795-1825 and individual letters on the Superintendent*s list. It has been necessary for us to inform in- quirers that they would have to communteste with the Mint at Philadelphia for certain desired information from these records. It is hoped, therefore, that you will cause the necessary arrangements to be made promptly for the shipment of. the material to the