5.
438
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The 209
"better off than anyone else in the Clerical Branch of
"the service. I regard Mr Wood's emoluments as more than
"sufficient for the DUTIES of the POST he holds, and I
"regret that I cannot support his application for a fur-
"ther increase of salary or allowance. I am prepared,
"however, to forward his application to the Secretary of
"State."
Since the Secretary of State decided in 1911 that the salary
for the duties of the post of "Superintendent of Accounts, Corre-
spondence and Stores" could not be increased, although the duties
and responsibility of that post had greatly increased, particularly
since 1900, I have accepted his decision as final, and I do not ask
that the question of the salary of the post should be reopened.
The matter of an increase or decrease in the duties of the
post could not, in view of his definite decision, have any effect,
but I may incidentally state that, even since his 1911 decision,
there has actually been on the whole an increase of work. In the
Correspondence Branch it is certainly not less than it was in 1911,
and in the Accounts Branch it is more, and must naturally be expect-
ed to increase with the growth of the Colony. As regards the Store
Branch, the Director of Public Works forwarded a report to Govern-
ment showing that much development has taken place since 1911 in
consequence of the adoption of my recommendation to appoint an
Inspector as technical assistant at the Store. Its adoption, and
the subsequent appointment, has enabled me gradually to improve
and extend the operations of the Store system in ways which, with-
out such an assistant, could not have been attempted, and which
will largely relieve and advantage the Engineering Staff and the
Public Works generally. Additional work and responsibility of a
permanent nature has in consequence been thrown on me as Superin-
tendent, and must be expected to grow with the gradual development
and perfecting of the Store system.
These facts, however, have no bearing on my present applica-
tion, and are not mentioned for the purpose of influencing it. I