SIR,
(R. & S. 1440.)
52
Enclosure 1 in No. 78.
India Office, Whitehall, London, S.W., June 5, 1907.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for India in Council to reply to your letter, C. 1780, dated 17th May, 1907, respecting the future management of the Imperial Institute.
I am to say that Mr. Secretary Morley is anxious not to impede any arrange- ment which the Board of Trade, acting within the authority conferred on them by the Imperial Institute (Transfer) Act, 1902, propose to make with the Colonial Office for the better management of the Imperial Institute. It is due to India that the hitherto recognised right of the India Office to the exclusive use of certain space in the Institute and to the independent management of the collections kept there should not be affected by any such arrangement; that the Endowment Fund of the Institute and the Institute Building should continue to be used for purposes in which India equally with the rest of His Majesty's dominions is interested; and that the laboratories and scientific branch of the Institute should continue to be available for Indian investigations. I am to ask that an assurance on these points may be given.
It is understood that as the Board of Trade will continue to be responsible for the management of the Institute in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Transfer, they will hear and decide any point regarding which a difference of opinion may arise between this office and the Colonial Office. It is also understood that no change in the constitution and functions of the Advisory Committee estab- lished by the Act is contemplated.
It is proposed in the conditions of delegation that the actual management of the Institute shall be conducted by two paid managers, one of whom will represent the Board of Trade and the other the Colonial Office. I am to express the wish of the Secretary of State in Council that a third manager, paid from the general revenues of the Institute, and nominated by him, may be added, to secure the proper representation of India. If this is agreed to the proposals made in my letter, Revenue and Statistics 813, dated 24th April, 1907, for transferring the manage- ment of the Indian section for a term of years to the Managers and to the Director of the Institute would not be affected, so far as the Secretary of State for India is concerned, by the delegation of the Board of Trade's powers to the Colonial Office, and, with the concurrence of the Colonial Office, could be carried out.
The Secretary,
The Board of Trade.
Enclosure 2 in No. 78.
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(C. 5467 A.)
SIR,
Board of Trade (Commercial Department),
7, Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W., December 19, 1905. WITH reference to your letters R. & S. Nos. 456 of the 2nd March and 2nd November last, and to the informal communications which have passed between this office and your Department respecting the annual contribution made by the India Office towards the general purposes of the Imperial Institute, I am now directed by the Board of Trade to transmit to you, for the consideration of the Secretary of State for India, copies of two memoranda in which the views of the Managing Committee of the Imperial Institute with regard to this question are fully set forth.
The Board desire me, however, in forwarding these memoranda to advert to their letter of the 31st October last, and to say that, as stated therein, they have no desire that the present arrangements in respect of the administration of the Indian section of the Institute should be disturbed otherwise than with the concurrence of the India Office and the Government of India.
The Under-Secretary of State,
India Office.
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SIR,
(R. & S. 1440.)
52
Enclosure 1 in No. 78.
India Office, Whitehall, London, S.W., June 5, 1907.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for India in Council to reply to your letter, C. 1780, dated 17th May, 1907, respecting the future management of the Imperial Institute.
I am to say that Mr. Secretary Morley is anxious not to impede any arrange- ment which the Board of Trade, acting within the authority conferred on them by the Imperial Institute (Transfer) Act, 1902, propose to make with the Colonial Office for the better management of the Imperial Institute. It is due to India that the hitherto recognised right of the India Office to the exclusive use of certain space in the Institute and to the independent management of the collections kept there should not be affected by any such arrangement; that the Endowment Fund of the Institute and the Institute Building should continue to be used for purposes in which India equally with the rest of His Majesty's dominions is interested; and that the laboratories and scientific branch of the Institute should continue to be available for Indian investigations. I am to ask that an assurance on these points may be given.
It is understood that as the Board of Trade will continue to be responsible for the management of the Institute in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Transfer, they will hear and decide any point regarding which a difference of opinion may arise between this office and the Colonial Office. It is also understood that no change in the constitution and functions of the Advisory Committee estab- lished by the Act is contemplated.
It is proposed in the conditions of delegation that the actual management of the Institute shall be conducted by two paid managers, one of whom will represent the Board of Trade and the other the Colonial Office. I am to express the wish of the Secretary of State in Council that a third manager, paid from the general revenues of the Institute, and nominated by him, may be added, to secure the proper representation of India. If this is agreed to the proposals made in my letter, Revenue and Statistics 813, dated 24th April, 1907, for transferring the manage- ment of the Indian section for a term of years to the Managers and to the Director of the Institute would not be affected, so far as the Secretary of State for India is concerned, by the delegation of the Board of Trade's powers to the Colonial Office, and, with the concurrence of the Colonial Office, could be carried out.
The Secretary,
SIR,
The Board of Trade.
(C. 5467 A.)
Enclosure 2 in No. 78.
I am, &c.,
A. GODLEY.
Board of Trade (Commercial Department),
7, Whitehall Gardens, London, S. W., December 19, 1905. WITH reference to your letters R. & S. Nos. 456 of the 2nd March and 2nd November last, and to the informal communications which have passed between this office and your Department respecting the annual contribution made by the India Office towards the general purposes of the Imperial Institute, I am now directed by the Board of Trade to transmit to you, for the consideration of the Secretary of State for India, copies of two memoranda in which the views of the Managing Committee of the Imperial Institute with regard to this question are fully set forth.
The Board desire me, however, in forwarding these memoranda to advert to their letter of the 31st October last, and to say that, as stated therein, they have no desire that the present arrangements in respect of the administration of the Indian section of the Institute should be disturbed otherwise than with the concurrence of the India Office and the Government of India.
The Under-Secretary of State,
India Office.
I have, &c.,
ARTHUR WILSON FOX.
53
IMPERIAL INSTITUTE
Indian Section Contribution.
The Indian section was originally allotted a total space amounting to approxi mately 16,500 square feet, of which about 14,329 square feet were in the Exhibition Galleries and 2,133 square feet in the Stores. This is approximately 30 per cent. of the entire area of the galleries and stores of the Imperial Institute. The contribu- tion towards the general expenses of the Imperial Institute was £750 per annum, which is calculated on the proportion of space occupied and on the total general expenses for maintenance and lighting. When the Imperial Institute was trans- ferred to the Government, the general expenses were lessened, and in 1900 the Indian contribution was diminished to £475 per annum, that is 28.9 per cent. of the estimated general expenses.
At the present time the total space allotted to the Indian section amounts to about 21,000 square feet, which includes certain storage space not yet actually occupied, but does not include the Indian Committee Room or the rooms and passages adjoining the entrance to the Jehanghier Hall, which are also maintained by the Imperial Institute. Taking the total area of the galleries and stores of the Imperial Institute at roughly 55,000 square feet, the Indian section has at present an allot- ment of over 40 per cent. of this area, whilst the contribution to the general expenses is calculated at only 28.9 of the estimated expenses.
In his letter to the India Office, Sir Owen Burne states that the additional space was granted to the Indian section prior to the reduction of the grant to £475 per annum, and was fully considered in that arrangement. It appears that the official correspondence concerning the allotment of additional space is prior in date to that relating to the reduction of grant. It is clear, however, that the arrange- ments for reducing the grant were discussed and settled by the Council of the Imperial Institute a considerable time previous to the matter being brought before the Indian Committee, as is explained in Sir F. Abel's letter of the 2nd July, 1900. Moreover, in Sir F. Abel's letter of the 25th July, 1900, the reduced assessment is stated to be calculated on 28.9 per cent. of the total space, that is, on the original figure. The additional space was therefore not taken into account in calculating the new assessment.
In 1900 the total expense of maintenance is given by Sir F. Abel as £1,658 15s., 28.9 per cent. of which is, roughly, £475.
We therefore do not see how any reduction in the Indian contribution of £475 per annum can be made under present circumstances, nor is it evident that such a reduction would be justified by the facts of the case. The expenditure from the general funds of the Imperial Institute on the collections, the library, and general purposes is already considerable, but by no means excessive; indeed, we believe a strong case could be made out for further expenditure. The special staff of the Indian section, as well as those who apply for information on Indian subjects, share the advantages thus provided, which are over and above the expenditure incurred on the cleaning, lighting, &c., of the Indian section.
India is at present in occupation of more space in the Imperial Institute building than any other country, and in addition, enjoys special privileges, whilst its annual contribution for general purposes is much smaller in proportion to the space occupied than those which will in future be paid by several Colonies, notably by Canada (£450) and the Cape (£300). We are clearly of opinion that these contributions should be estimated as a share of the general expenses of the Institute, excluding, perhaps, those of the Scientific and Technical Department, which are separately met, and should not be regarded merely as out-of-pocket expenses for the cleaning, &c., of the portions of the galleries occupied by these countries.
If the Government of India desire to effect further economies in the adminis- tration of the Indian section, a very considerable saving could be effected without any loss of efficiency by merging the administration of the Indian section in the general administration of the Imperial Institute, a lump sum being paid as a contribution. At present India alone at the Imperial Institute maintains a special staff for its section, which is practically independent of the other sections of the Institute, this staff being responsible to the Indian Committee, by whom they are appointed and paid.
We do not consider this an economical or desirable arrangement under the altered management of the Imperial Institute, and we submit that the present is
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