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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

Reference :-

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17 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

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a convenient moment for suggesting the change, since the present system comes naturally to an end this year. This change does not necessarily involve the abolition of the Indian Committee, which might still be retained in an advisory capacity.

Excluding the expenses of the City office and the grant of £200 made to the Scientific and Technical Department, the present cost to the Government of India of the maintenance of the Indian section is £1,325 per annum. From a rough estimate made by the Director, it would appear that the work of the Indian section could be efficiently carried out under his direction, if a lump sum of £1,000 per annum were paid as an annual contribution to the Imperial Institute for the entire maintenance, including salaries and all charges in respect of the Indian section, excluding of course the grant for the City office and for the Scientific Department. The change would mean a saving of £325 per annum to the Government of India. Under the arrangement suggested the administration and maintenance of the Indian section would be put on the same footing as those of the Colonial sections of the Imperial Institute.

There appears to be no foundation for the statement of the Chairman of the Indian Section that the general expenses of the Imperial Institute have recently diminished. On the contrary, in several directions they have increased.

July 4, 1905.

IMPERIAL INSTITUTE

C. C. S. A. E. B.

The position of India at the Imperial Institute was fully discussed in our memorandum of the 4th July last, which was written after a consideration of the letter from the India Office of the 2nd March, 1905. The three questions contained in that letter may be answered in detail as follows:-

(1) The actual expenditure annually incurred by the Imperial Institute, towards meeting which the contribution by India is given, is at present about £2,000 per annum for maintenance, which includes cleaning and care of the galleries, lighting, &c., general repairs, wages of attendants and doorkeepers, &c. The cost of administration, including the salaries of the collection staff, is not included in this amount.

(2) The sums at present contributed by the Colonial Governments towards the collections amount to a total of just over £2,000 per annum. These contributions are made on the same basis as that applied to India in accordance with the agreement which is now in force.

(3) The assessment is calculated on the space occupied. India is at present allotted about 40 per cent, of the total space and India's contribution should therefore strictly be about £800 per annum. It is actually £425 per annum.

It is to be observed that the original assessment of India and the Colonies and also the revised assessment of 1900 were both made irrespective of any special staff which a particular country may think fit to maintain for the purposes of its section.

November 28, 1905.

SIR,

(R. & S. 813.)

Enclosure in No. 78.

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the Indian section, and after consulting the Government of India, desires to invite the Board of Trade to take over the management of the section upon conditions to be mutually agreed on.

3. It is suggested that--

(1) The Indian Committee which at present manages the section should be

dissolved.

(2) A third manager, nominated by the Secretary of State for India, should be added to the present Managers of the Institute and paid at the same rate as they are.

(3) Subject to the authority of the Managers and the Board of Trade, the section should be placed under the Director of the Institute, care being taken to secure, as far as is possible, that the staff employed in the section should have special qualifications for work on behalf of India. (4) In place of the present system under which the India Office pays the staff and maintenance charges of the Indian section and contributes £475 a year for "general purposes" of the Institute, it should in future pay a lump sum annually to the Institute to cover all charges of the section and the "general purposes" contribution, and the Institute should accept entire financial responsibility for the section.

(5) The expenditure on account of the Indian section, and the sums received by the Institute from the India Office should be shown as separate entries and in detail in the annual accounts of the Institute.

(6) The arrangements described above should be open to revision at the end

of five years.

4. If this scheme is acceptable to the Board of Trade I am to say that Mr. Secretary Morley would be glad to be favoured with an expression of Mr. Secre- tary Lloyd George's views as to whether the salary of the proposed third Manager might be charged in whole or part to the revenues of the Institute. It is understood that the salaries of the two existing Managers are met from this source, and that one of these Managers represents the Colonial Office and the other the Board of Trade. It is suggested that the third Manager, whose appointment is proposed to secure the due representation of India, might similarly be paid by the Institute.

With regard to the amount of the lump contribution to be paid by this office for the upkeep of the Indian section and "general purposes," it is suggested that a final decision on the point should be deferred until after the appointment of a third Manager. In the memorandum of the 4th July, 1905, accompanying your letter C. 5467, dated 19th December, 1905, it is stated that a sum of £1,000 a year was estimated by the Director of the Institute to be sufficient to provide for the entire maintenance, including salaries and all charges in respect of the Indian section. It is understood that this was only a rough estimate, and it would seem advisable that the lump contribution should be fixed after somewhat closer examina- tion of the Director's proposals and more definite knowledge of the establishment to be entertained for the section.

I am to add that the grant of £200 a year made by this Office to the Institute for the Scientific Branch will not be effected by the proposed arrangement. The India Trade Inquiry Office in the City will remain under the management of the India Office.

C. C. S.

A. E. B.

The Secretary,

The Board of Trade.

India Office, Whitehall, London, S.W., April 24, 1907.

I AM directed by the Secretary of State for India in Council to refer to the correspondence ending with your letter C. 5467, dated 19th December, 1905, on, the subject of the administration of the Indian section of the Imperial Institute, and of the annual contribution made for general purposes to the Institute by the India Office.

2. I am to say that Mr. Secretary Morley, after considering the report of a Departmental Committee appointed by him to enquire into the administration of

SIR,

(C. 2792.)

Enclosure 4 in No. 78.

I have, &c.,

A. GODLEY.

Board of Trade (Commercial Department),

7, Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W., May 23, 1907.

I AM directed by the Board of Trade to advert to your letter (R. & S. 813)

of the 24th ultimo, in which it is suggested that the Board should assume the management of the Indian section of the Imperial Institute subject to conditions to be agreed upon by the India Office and this Department.