PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
C.O. 885/5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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recording in the Registers the action taken upon them; of keeping the indexes of those sent from the office; of keeping the papers, issuing them when required, and replacing them when done with. This business, which is now concentrated in the Registry was in 1870 carried on in that division, and in the four geographical divisions by (1) a Registrar (an" established" officer) at 350l. to 450, who was also Superintendent of Copyists; 12), an assistant clerk of the first class at 250l. to 3501.; (3) an assistant clerk of the second class at 100%. to 2007. (4) four copyists, employed on special duty in the four geographical divisions and in the Registry, at 7s. 6d. per diem or 1171. per annum sach, with occasional assistance from other copyists, making, for the business now carried on in the Registry and for the superintendence of copying, a minimum expenditure of 1,1681. and a maximum of at least 1,487. The present Registry staff consists of a Superintendent at 350l. to 450%.. assisted by five Lower Division clerks, one of whom receives
duty pay of 501. A separate Superintendent of Copyists has been appointed at 300l. to 400l., giving for the two divisions a minimum of 1,1757. and a maximum of 2,150l., as against 1,1681. and 1,4687. in 1870. But it is to be remembered that the number of despatches and letters received and sent out, which is a measure almost exact of registry business, and in an approximate degree of the amount of copying, has about doubled since 1870, and that whilst the maximum salaries of the Lower Division clerks employed under the Registry Super- intendent are greater than those of their pre- decessors with one exception, yet their initial salaries are less, and it takes at least 30
years to reach the maximum.
e. The copying vote from which the writers are Copying paid has fallen from 2,4001. in 1866-7 to 1,100%. in vote. 1886-7, notwithstanding the increased amount of correspondence. This is attributable partly to the reduced rates of pay, partly to the discontinuance or withdrawal of a certain amount of copying, but in a principal degree to the fact that a class of work formerly performed by copyists employed on special duty and paid from the copying voto is now performed by clerks of the Lower Division who are not paid from that vote.
Department.
8. The Land and Emigration Commissioners Emigration were charged (1) with the administration of Crown Lands in certain Colonies, (2) with the management of emigration from this country to those colouies, the cost of which emigration was principally defrayed from the proceeds of sale of those lands, (8) with the administration of the Passenger Acts, (4) with Cooly Emigration business, (5) with miscellaneous emigration business. After the concession of self-government to the Colonies the first two classes of business passed into the hands of the Colonial Government. In 1873 the administration of the Passenger Acts was taken over by the Board of trade. As vacancies occurred in the office they were not filled up. The estimates fell to 6,0317. in 1866–7, 5,2731. in 1871–2, 4,6177. in 1876-7, and 8,2921. in 1877-8. At that point the remaining staff became not greater than was
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required to deal with the remaining business, princi- pally connected with Cooly Emigration, but at the end of 1877-8 the remaining Emigration Com- missioner retired, the Emigration Office was abolished, and the work was taken over partly by the Colonial Office and partly by the Crown Agents for the Colonies. The services and salaries of two Emigration Office clerks who were receiving 300l. to 500l. per annum cach, were taken over by the Colonial Office for einigration business, and an allowance of 100l. per annum was granted to the Colonial Office Clerk (at present the Chief Clerk), charged with the superintendence of that business. The Colonial Office also took over for general duty the messenger and the porter who had been employed in the Emigration Office. The business of the Emigration Department relates (1) to the condition of Indian immigrants in the Colonies, and to legislation and administrative arrangements affecting that condition, their recruit- ment in India, and transport to the Colonies and back; (2) to general questions connected with emigration.
9. The Accounts Department is charged with the Accounts administration of the Parliamentary Voies for the Department. Colonial Office and for Colonial Services in Class V.
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of the Estimates, and with Colonial Pension business. Formerly it comprised (1) the accountant or financial clerk (an "established officer), with a salary at first of 6002, to 700l., but afterwards of 700l. to 8007., who has been classed for estimate purposes as a first class clerk; (2) a senior assis- tant, or book-keeper, with a salary at first of 2501. to 3501., but afterwards of 360l. to 4501.; (3) a junior assistant at 100l. to 2501.; (4) a copyist at 78. 6d. per diem, or 117, per annum.
T'he present staff consists of (1) the financial clerk at 7001. to 8001; (2) the book-keeper at 360l. to 4501.; (3) a Lower Division clerk with duty pay of 501., who assista in drafting letters and despatches and in Colonial Pension business, besides the general busi- ness of the division, and another Lower Division clerk, whose services have been shared by the correspondence branch of the general department. It may here be repeated that in consequence of pressure of work in the two divisions an additional Lower Division clerk has been appointed for the present, so as to afford to each division the entire services of a clerk instead of the one clerk whose services have of late been shared between them.
10. In 1866-7 there were a first office keeper, at Office 2007, with an allowance of 20%. paid from contin- keepers, gencies, and a second office keeper, at 150%. to messengers, 2001. Both these officers were "established officers." and
"doorkeepers, The only change that has taken place is that the bourers. allowance of 201. has been raised to 501., which is now voted under salaries. These appointments have been filled by promotion from amongst the messengers. At the same date there were for outdoor service five messengers at 1507. each, three of them, since dead or retired, receiving an allow ance of 761. 178. 6d. each as compensation for privileges which had been abolished. For indoor
E 24439.
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