106
286. Spare copies of these documents are usually available and it is recommended that diary copies should be kept to form a numerical index and that registration, other than that done by the Coding Office, should be abolished in all registries.
Despatch cover notes.
287. The covering note of a despatch is copied and the copy retained with the office copy. It is recommended that the covering note should not be copied and any information on that note that is required by an office for additional reference, should be endorsed on the diary copy of the despatch, etc.
Recording despatch of telegrams.
288. It is recommended that 4 of the 5 registers recording the despatch of tele- grams by the clerk in the General Registry should be abandoned and the fifth register used as a composite register for billing purposes.
Telegram index,
289. Inward and outward telegrams are recorded in an alphabetical index. If it is necessary to trace telegrams through an alphabetical record, additional copies should be obtained from the Coding Office and filed in alphabetical order. The alphabetical index should be abolished.
Use of addressing machine.
290. Registries and other offices are frequently addressing envelopes to the same addressee. As recommended for another branch, such envelopes should be pre-addressed by the addressing machines now used by the Treasury or the Public Works Department.
291. It is recommended that an officer should obtain details of the number of such addressed envelopes required by the Secretariat say for a period of two months, and arrange for the envelopes to be addressed by the addressing machine and delivered to the sections using them.
File tracing books.
292. To enable the clerks to note file references, file tracing books are prepared. It is recommended that these records should be abolished when the method of indexing proposed above is adopted.
Use of composite rubber stamps.
293. When letters are received they may be stamped three times:
(1) Date of receipt.
(2) "Received Secretariat".
(3) "Formal acknowledgment".
Composite rubber stamps should be used to provide one stamping operation.
Duplicate recording.
294. Certain correspondence is recorded in the General Registry and again in the Confidential Registry. This duplicate recording should be abolished.
Monthly reports of work volume.
295. The General Registry prepare monthly reports of work volume giving daily details.
296. While work volume reports are necessary, only monthly totals should be recorded in the reports.
"Bring up" procedure.
297. This procedure varies with offices, some clerks keeping "their own" records in addition to that of the registry. The following method should be followed by all Branches.
(1) When a file is to be "brought up", the action officer or his assistant should indicate this action in the transit column on the face of the file
cover.