}
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
To To Tz Ti
Reference:→→
mminamimi.C.O. 885 /
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
6
instruments and first assistant in the Correspon- dence Branch of the General Department at 3501. to 500l. per annum, (2) Superintendent of the Registry at 350l. to 450, (3) Superintendent of Printing at 350l. to 450l., (4) Superintendent of the Library at 300l. to 400l.. (5) Superintendent of Copying at 3001. to 4001. It is to be noted that the duties of these officers are not confined to superintending the work of those under them. They are expected to take an active part in the business of their respective branches.
7. Proceeding to deal with the branches of the General office referred to in the 6th paragraph of this memo-
Department. randum, since 1871 the following five branches, with the collective title of "General Department," have been placed under the general direction of a principal or first class clerk (at present the chief clerk) viz., (1) correspondence branch, (2) library, (3) printing, (4) registry, and (5) copying.
Division.
a. The Correspondence Division deals with busi- Correspon- ness relating to the Colonies in general (e.g., deno international engagements and business connected with circular despatches, or which, if it relates only to some particular Colony, is dealt with on some general principle, with business relating to the Colo- nial Office itself, and with a variety of miscellaneous business. The special staff of this division consists of the first assistant (who is also Clerk for Legal Instruments and Officer-at Arms of the Order of St. Michael and St. George), at 3501. to 5001., one Lower Division clerk, with duty pay of 50%, who assists in drafting letters and despatches, as well as in the general business of the division, and another Lower Division clerk, whose services have hitherto been shared by the Accounts Department; but in consequence of pressure of work in the two branches an additional Lower Division clerk has been appointed for the present, so as to afford to each branch the entire services of a clerk instead of the one clerk, whose services have of late been shared between them. With the help of the Lower Divi- sion clerks referred to, the first assistant, as Clerk for Legal Instruments, assists the Legal Under Secretary in the preparation of warrants, commis- sions, letters patent, &c, and as Officer-at-Arms deals under the direction of the superior officers of the Order with business relating to the Order.
b. The Library matter, in addition to works relat- Library
ing to the Colonies, works of general interest, and Division
works of reference, comprises bound correspon- dence, the complete series of Imperial Parliamen- tary Papers, Colonial Legislative Papers, Blue Books, Laws, Hand-books, Maps, Newspapers &o. &c. &c. The Library business consists in the arrangement of this matter, which is becoming very extensive, so as to be easily producible when wanted, in searches. in cataloguing, indexing, watching for new publications of importance to the library, making up for transmission to the Colonies Parliamentary Papers and Circular Despatches, and in attending to the requirements of the numerous persons who resort to the Library for the purpose of consulting the public records. The Library staff formerly consisted of a librarian
7
at 6001. to 8001., an assistant librarian at 20G1. to 400l., a compiler of indices at 100l. to 200l., and a messenger at 104., representing a maximum expenditure of 1,5041. The librarian and assistant librarian were succeeded by a Superintendent with a salary rising_to_6007., who for estimate purposes was classed, first as an assistant senior clerk, and afterwards as a second-class clerk (Estimates 1877-8), with irregular assistance from persons partly engaged in other duties, and from copyists, and with the same messenger, whose salary, in con- sequence of his long services and of his intimate and useful acquaintance with the disposition of all the printed records, was eventually placed on the scale of 100%., rising by annual increments of al., to 150l. a year. This arrangement did not answer, and on the retirement of the late Superintendent, in 1880, the present arrangement was set on foot, under which the library staff devote their whole time to library work, except for a few weeks in the holiday season, when one member of it takes the place of the Superintendent of copyists. The Library staff now consists of a Superintendent at 300l. to 400l., three Lower Division clerks, of whom one receives duty pay of 501., a messenger at 1007. to 150l, and a cleaner at 131. per annum, repre- senting a maximum expenditure of 1,3631., which compares favourably with the former 1,504l., especially considering that the Library has had its share in the general increase of business, and that under the present arrangement it has attained a high degree of order and efficiency.
c. The business of the Printing Division lies in Printing the preparation of papers for printing, whether for Division. Parliament or for the purposes of the Colonial Office,
in revising proofs, including maps and plans, in compiling indexes, in keeping registers of printed matter and of the progress of work, and in the custody and provision, when wanted, of confidential and other printed papers, except Parliamentary. In 1866-7 the staff of the Printing Department (Parliamentary, Confidential, and other Papers) comprised (1), the Clerk for Parliamentary Papers (an "established" clerk), who, in addition to the salary of an Assistant Senior Clerk, viz., 350l. to 6001, received an allowance of 200%, making an aggregate salary of 5501. to 8001. per annum, and who for estimate purposes (Estimates 1877-8), was afterwards classed as a first class clerk; (2), a clerk with a salary rising to 250%, who was later on placed on the footing of an assistant clerk of the first class at 250l. to 3501; (3), the services of a copyist or writer. In 1871 an assistant clerk of the second class at 100%. to 2007. was added, bringing up the maximum cost to 1,350., exclusive of a copyist or writer paid from the copying vote. The present staff consists of a Superintendent at 350l. to 4501., the remaining assistant clerk at 2501. to 3507., and a Lower Division clerk, representing a maximum expenditure of only 1,050/. besides the part services of a writer paid from the copying vote.
d. In the Registry Division is carried on the Registry and business of registering the despatches, letters, and Copying other communications, received at the office; of Divisions.
A 4