Fonds consists of 4 Series: Postmaster General's correspondence (1825-1862); Financial records (1769-1868); Returns and other material (1846-1897, predom. 1846-1870); and Tenders (1851-1859).

Fonds consists of photographs taken by Sarah Donaldson Naugle on Sable Island, where she lived for much of her life. Naugle’s subjects include her family (both the Donaldsons and the Naugles) and life on the Island. Sable’s horses feature prominently, as do wrecked ships and their survivors, Island residents, the Life Saving Stations, light houses and other buildings, and assorted features of Island life.

Sarah Naugle was the primary, but not only, photographer of the images in the fonds. Other people, likely family members, also contributed. Family lore suggests Sarah Naugle developed many of the images herself on Sable Island, using both sunlight and traditional methods. Nova Scotia Archives has records of photographs being developed on the Island (RJ Boutilier letterbooks and diaries), making this is a definite possibility. Some images in the fonds are prints, made in the 1950s and 1960s. of earlier images.

Fonds also includes two textual documents: the marriage certificate for Sarah Donaldson and Alexander Reuben Naugle, and a newspaper clipping featuring their son Clyde.

Fonds consists of typed transcripts of the hearings with indexes (1926); annotated drafts of Nova Scotia’s Brief to the Royal Commission and the final published version submitted (1925-1926); financial statements of provincial revenues (1925-1296); a research file of constitution examples from Ireland, South Africa, and Newfoundland 1895-1922 (collected circa 1925); news clippings (1926); 2 printed letters from Premier Rhodes to shippers about possible changes to freight rates (1926-1927); and a published report on the circumstances leading up to this Royal Commission “The Maritime Provinces Since Confederation: A Statistical Study of Social and Economic Conditions During the Past 60 Years” (Ottawa: Kings Printer, 1926) compiled by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics in fulfillment of one of the Royal Commission’s recommendations.

Fonds consists of transcripts of the Royal Commission hearings for the first month, on paper and on microfilm (November 3 to 27, 1925) and the second month, on microfilm only (December 2 to 23, 1925) and the final report published in 1926.

Fonds consists of exhibits (documents) submitted from Supervisors of Schools in Glace Bay and New Waterford, from Local No. 26 of the Union of Mine Workers of America, and from Dominion Steel & Coal Corporation (1932); written briefs or submissions (1932); research reports from William A. Armour for the Royal Commission (1932); a partial draft of the final report (1932?); correspondence to the Commissioners (1932); and background research files (1931-1932).

Subjects include the terrible social conditions and poverty suffered by fully employed people; school students starving; pricing of coal, customers, and the competition in late 1920s and early 1930s; closure and amalgamation of specific mines; and municipal concerns regarding social welfare particularly in Cape Breton.

Fonds consists of the Royal Commission’s original typed report signed by the five commissioners.

Fonds consists of typed transcripts of the hearings for April 11, 12, 19, and 20, 1933; documents submitted as evidence from the Nova Scotia Power Commission including plot plans of the disputed lands along the shores of Big Indian Lake and Five Mile Lake in the Indian River at Saint Margaret’s Bay, NS (1921-1933 collected in 1933); and the original order-in-council dated March 3, 1933 establishing the Commission and appointing commissioners.

Fonds consists of typed transcripts of the “sittings” (hearings), some with corrected versions, and informal meetings with subject experts (Aug 8 to Sep 25, 1934); research files compiled by Norman McL. Rogers including completed questionnaires from businesses and summaries of his findings (1900-1932 compiled in 1933-1934); typed manuscripts of drafts of the Brief from the NS Government written by Norman McL. Rogers (1934?); typed manuscripts of drafts of the final report and appendices, some with corrections (1934); the published final report in 2 volumes and a digest or summary of the report (1934); briefs or submissions from stakeholders and the public (1934); Rogers’ incoming and outgoing correspondence (1933-1934); and some routine correspondence to the Commissioners.

Subjects covered include inter-provincial trade, Nova Scotia’s imports and exports, rural Nova Scotia population statistics 1851-1931, shipping/railway transportation statistics for 1932, lumbering, coal mining, fisheries, farming and life insurance companies.

Fonds also includes a set of 5 stenographer’s notebooks in shorthand and newspaper clippings on the Cape Breton coal miners’ strike of 1923.

Fonds consists of typed hearing transcripts (August 17, 26, and 27, 1937); reports to the royal commission from mining engineer George S. Rice and accountant D.S. Hart (1937-1938); correspondence to the commissioner including a copy of the Order-in-Council (1937-1938); a written submission from the community of Thorburn, NS regarding Acadia Mine No.3 (1937?); and a signed manuscript of the final report submitted to government (1939).

Fonds consists of written briefs submitted from stakeholders (1937-1938); extensive submissions from the provincial governments of British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario (1937-1938); summaries of submissions from New Brunswick and Saskatchewan (1938); 2 copies of the final version of Nova Scotia’s submission (1938); 7 published research reports sponsored by the Royal Commission as well as draft manuscripts for some (1938-1940); partial set of typed hearing transcripts (Feb. 4 to Dec. 1, 1938); and the 3-volume published final report (1940).

Fonds consists of teacher training notes, lesson plans and tests (ca.1930-ca.1932); business correspondence (1935-1949); teaching contracts (1930-1948); Elsie Mosher’s grade 9 tests (ca.1926); programs from the Lunenburg County Teachers’ Institutes (1944-1946); a few personal correspondence (1936, 1939); a certificate for school administration (1930) and a certificate for a pottery class taught by Alice Egan Hagen, with a photograph of the class (1943); living expenses at Sable River (ca.1936-ca.1938); meeting minutes for the Mahone Bay Home and School Association (May 1945); and a published book The School Teacher’s Music Guide by L.C. Venables (1930-1931). Also includes 2 photograph albums of images of the schools and communities where Elsie Mosher taught, groups of students identified by name, physical education classes, other teachers as well as Elsie, and friends during holidays. The records document the life of a teacher and the education system in early 20th century Nova Scotia.

Fonds consists of written submissions or briefs from NS Federation of Agriculture, the NS Federation of Home & School Associations, the NS Provincial Federation of Labor of the Trades and Labor Congress of Canada, Halifax County Municipal School Board, the Union of NS Municipalities, and NS Association of Urban and Municipal School Boards Provisional Committee; typed hearing transcripts for Federation of Agriculture, Federation of Home & School Associations, the NS Teacher’s Union, the Union of NS Municipalities, and the University Womens Club of Wolfville, NS (March 29-April 8, 1954); and the published Final Report. Some briefs contain Commissioner Pottier’s annotations.