PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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£5,000 in 10 B be absorbed from 1st April, 1012, into the general staff of the Land Registry Department, which from that date would number 140.
2. We recommend the following organisation (omitting the headquarter staff, which would remain as it is at present) :-
ī
1 Inspector at £300, on a three years' agreement (no subsistence).
*1 Chief Surveyor at £250.
1 Chief Surveyor at £240.
1 Ordnance Surveyor at £200.
*2 Surveyors at £120, by £6 to £156.
*1 Assistant Surveyor at £78, by £3 to £108.
2 Land Registry Clerks, Class I., at £168, by £6 to £204.
3 Land Registry Clerks, Class II., at £132 by £6 to £156.
5 Land Registry Clerks, Class III., at £108 by £3 to £128. 14 Land Registry Clerks, Class IV., at £78 by £3 to £102. 80 Land Registry Clerks, Class V., at £36 by £3 to £72. 36 Land Registry Clerks, Class VI., at £18 by £3 to £24. Total Land Registry Clerks of all grades, 140.
All Clerks appointed above Class VI. would be pensionable. Of other posts, those would be pensionable which I have marked with an asterisk.
3. Before making our recommendations we examined very carefully the lists of officials submitted by the Registrar-General and marked Red 10-16 on this paper, and considered every individual's case with reference to our proposals, and the numbers of the various grades in my paragraph 2 were determined mainly by the numbers of those at present drawing similar salaries.
4. We propose to abolish all extra fees. If our scheme of classification is approved, the average amount of extra fees hitherto drawn by any individual will be considered when placing him in his new class. Those who are already on the permanent list would, of course, be given the option of coming under the new regula- tions or remaining under the old (wherein extra fees were allowed).
5. We have tried by our classification slightly to improve the salaries of the Land Registry Department. We have tried also to arrange that the salaries should compare reasonably with those of the general clerical staff. It is regrettable that so large a number should be in Class V. and so few in Classes II. and III., and in time to come the number in these classes will no doubt have to be increased. (General clerical staff has 23 in Class III.) But it was impossible to arrange otherwise without raising very largely the salaries of a great number of officers, for which there is no special reason.
6. If our scheme is approved, Red 2 will need modification, but its principles will remain, and officials in the Land Registry Department will have to pass the necessary examinations and tests before promotion.
7. I suggest that the Registrar-General be requested to draw up a statement showing how much the present staff of the Land Registry and Revaluation would cost if paid at present rates, and, in a parallel column, the cost of the same at the proposed
rate.
revenue.
J
8. In conclusion, I think it necessary to state clearly that the revaluation and registration to be carried out under Law XII. of 1907 will cause a permanent increase in the cost of administration. On the other hand, registration fees which will, under the proposed scheme, all accrue to Government, will produce an increased It is because we realize that the increase in staff will be a permanent necessity and not of a temporary nature that we have recommended the amalgamation of the at present mainly temporary revaluation staff with the permanent and pen- sionable Land Registry staff. We had hoped at first to avoid making any large increase to the latter, but when we went into the matter we found that it was impossible.
• Not printed.
C. W. ORR,
Acting Chief Secretary. J. E. C.,
16 June, 1911.
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Enclosure 2 in No. 55.
MEMORANDUM.
1. With reference to Law XII. of 1907 and to the item in the Estimates, 1911-12, of £5,000 under Schedule 10 (B), General Registration and Revaluation, it was considered in view of Colonial Service Regulation, No. 235, and in order to facilitate the work of this Department, as well as in deference to the wish of the Treasury, that it would be advisable to distribute the vote above-mentioned. With this object it was necessary to consider (1) how far the staff shall be entirely inde- pendent of the Land Registry Office proper; (2) to what extent this special staff shall be provided for under personal emoluments or open votes; (3) the Elected Members of the Legislative Council were at the same time pressing for the immediate execution of the Law to its full extent.
2. Ilis Excellency the then Officer Administering the Government (Major Clauson) referred the matter to a meeting of the Chief Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Registrar-General. He also referred to the consideration at the same time of the meeting the memorials which had been received from the staff of the Land Registry Department, complaining that the salaries tentatively fixed by the Regula tions of 4th November, 1901 ("Gazette," No. 713, of 8th November, 1901) were inadequate, owing to the increased cost of living and in comparison with the salaries received by their compeers on the general clerical staff.
3. This meeting had many sittings and the result of its deliberations is set forth in the attached minute of the Chief Secretary (now His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government, Captain C. W. Orr).
4. The statement required to be furnished by paragraph 7 of the Chief Secretary's minute is now attached and shows that the present staff of the Survey, Land Registry, and Revaluation would cost £9,654 per annum if paid at present rates, and the cost of the same at the proposed rate will amount to £11,028 per annum, or an increased expenditure of £1,374 per annum, which will be met by the additional land registry revenue to be derived under Law XII. of 1907.
5. The future scheme of examinations is also attached. This scheme was approved by the Right Honourable the Secretary of State in 1901, and it is now 'modified to meet the requirements of the altered staff only.
6. A despatch, No. 114, of 11th August, 1911, has now been received from the Secretary of State, and with reference to paragraph 3 thereof it was never contem- plated that the surveyors should carry on their work without some technical super- vision. The former Registrar-General, Mr. G. Smith, now His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government of Mauritius, in writing on this subject, stated as follows in his letter, 115/09, of 15th March, 1909 :--
"When a larger vote is obtained, it will be desirable, I think, to appoint a superior English officer with some experience in cadastral work to take charge of survey, registration, and valuation.”
7. In amplification of his remarks, I beg to add it is not so much to supervise the work of Messrs. Douglas and Spencer technically that the services of the Inspector now asked for are required, but more to inspect and check the work of the whole staff.
8. By Law XII. of 1907, 180 square miles have to be surveyed, registered, and valued every year, and, in addition to the 180 square miles, the Law provides for partial revaluations on the demand of individuals or of the Government.
9. In order to carry out this gigantic work, a vast number of officials scattered about in various parts of the Island are employed.
10. The time of Messrs. Douglas and Spencer is fully occupied in triangula- tion and traversing, in making the main survey, and in setting out for survey in detail each one 90 square miles per annum.
Each division comprises about 50 persons, all of whose work requires constant inspecting and checking by a technical officer. It is a physical impossibility for them to do this in addition to their own substantive duty above described.
11. Mr. Douglas is not fully qualified for the work, and while he has hitherto been employed on work of the same class it was only half what he is now required to do. Mr. Smith did not think him fully qualified to carry out the work, much less the increased amount, without any supervision at all. My opinion coincides with Mr. Smith's, besides which Mr. Douglas is now getting too old for the class of work required of the Inspector.