ARCHIVIST OF THE HALL OF RECORDS 9

compensation for their return would be out of order. The Commission
then suggested that the efforts of the entire Maryland delegation in
Congress be enlisted and Mr. Tawes was asked to bring the problem
to them.

The Commission felt it necessary to plan for the consolidation of
the Hall of Records and the Office of the Land Commissioner in
anticipation of the election of November 1966, when the constitutional
amendment making this consolidation a fact, might pass.

Mr. Goldstein assured the Commission that along with the func-
tions and the records of the Land Office, if the referendum were in the
affirmative, the Hall of Records would also get the budget, the personnel
and the office space of the Land Office. The Archivist noted that we
could not accommodate the records unless we disposed of the Abstracts
of Deeds which the Land Office had left with us when it moved to the
new State Office Building. The Commission was opposed to their
destruction and urged that the county historical societies be offered
them. This was agreed upon subject to review by the Attorney General.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned sine die.

In addition to the Chairman and Vice Chairman, there were pre-
sent Governor Tawes, Comptroller Goldstein, and Judge Brune, Presi-
dent of the Maryland Historical Society.