CO885-(26N14) — Page 93

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

13.

In July, 1896, the process of devolution was extended in combination with' a start in the direction of decentralising the Registry. It began with the formation of a branch Registry known then and still as S.R.1, which took over all the registration work, despatching of letters and mails, the writing of Lff and routine drafts, for the West African and Mediterranean Department, and the Australian and North American Department. This devolution and decentralisation proved so successful and convenient that it was extended in the next few years till every two or three Geographical Departments of the office came to have a branch Registry working in rooms as nearly adjacent to them as circumstances allowed. From time to time a number of other miscellaneous duties have been assigned to the various branch or Sub-Registries as they are called.

14. On the other hand, some work such as drafting, with coding and cypher- ing outward telegrams, &c., the latter a further step in devolution, has been trans- ferred in quite recent times to "confidential " clerks working with the Geographical Departments.

15. With the completion of decentralisation the Central Registry ceased to be anything more than a distributing centre. the great bulk of its activities being confined to the processes referred to in paragraph 4. The Assistant Registrars in charge of branches, however, became specialists in the correspondence of their Departments; while, as it happened, the Chief Registrar began, from the first, to lose touch with the work. This latter process has continued without pause ever since, and this official has taken no part in the general working or supervision of the Registry and Despatch branches, having no knowledge of the correspondence beyond the little to be gathered from seeing some of the papers which pass through the Central Registry, on receipt, for distribution.

16. It may be observed that the saving of work brought about by the Tropical African file system and the cessation of indexing, with the consequent acceleration of record processes, was made imperative by the great difficulty always experienced in obtaining sanction for increases to the purely clerical staff, in spite of the recog- nised growth of business, and by the problem of accommodation, which has been for years, and still is, far from a satisfactory solution. Much the same considerations are now operating to make it a pressing matter to consider what other reforms in the processes outlined in paragraphs 4, 5, and 6, may be introduced to limit clerical work. It is really a matter for legitimate surprise that reform has not been under- taken before, even during the War, seeing how much the strain on the clerical staff might have been eased.

17. Assuming then, as is generally recognised, the necessity for relief, the question arises as to the best means of providing it.

18. The idea of so drastic a change as the adoption of registration by subjects has from time to time received attention from some in the office specially interested in public record work. It is agreed, however, by most to be beset by too many difficulties to suit the peculiar circumstances of the Colonial Office to which no subject is strange, whereas it will be found that in those public offices where subject registration is in force the range of subjects is limited. Moreover, subjects in the Colonial Office coalesce to such an extent as not to admit of clear definition. The adoption of such a system would require very considerable study and discussion by all concerned before there could be any hope of launching a scheme likely to prove satisfactory. This would mean delay. In the Accounts Department. where the subjects dealt with are limited and pretty clearly defined, the subject system of registration has been worked with success for some few years much on the lines of the Tropical African Service files, but even there not all of its small correspondence has as yet been found susceptible of this treatment. During the War it has been adopted for a very few papers on war trade subjects in the charge of the Eastern and West Indian Registry."

19. Dismissing then the subject registration system there remains the possi- bility of treating a quite appreciable part of the Colonial Office correspondence by subjects and of keeping all the papers together by subjects while making no funda- mental change in the record books, and so creating the minimum of disturbance in accepted methods. The plan of keeping the papers together in their series has been tried for some years with very fair success in the Dominions Registry for papers registered "Dominions," which corresponds to "General" or "Colonies General,"

as it used to be called, for the Colonies and Protectorates correspondence. During the War it was also extended in the same Registry to correspondence arising on "War Trade" questions. In these instances the papers have been kept together for some years in series as connected," and in the case of the "Dominions " according to a settled list of subjects, each list being assigned a distinctive letter, papers and each subject included in that list a special number, e.g., Z41, "Passports.' When, after a considerable lapse of time, no further correspondence has occurred on one of the Dominions or War Trade series the papers have been dispersed to their several bundles according to the registered number of each unit, under the general office system.

20. Now the two processes absorbing most of the time of those engaged on registration duties, as distinct from the Despatch side of the Registry, are the docketing and the assembly and putting by of papers, see paragraphs 4 and 6. Docketing to be well done requires time, care, uniformity, and, it may be said, aptitude. It is too often poorly done. The withdrawal of registered units from the " bundles and their return when done with entails heavy physical labour and takes put by " up nearly the whole time of the young boy clerks who have up till lately been avail- able for service in the branch Registries. Everybody dislikes the work of sorting, getting out, or putting by papers, and there is too much scope in it for misplacing papers so that they become practically lost. To rediscover them, frequent surveys of all the bundles would be necessary, for which under existing conditions there is neither time or staff.* There are believed to have been only two or three attempts in the past at a complete survey of recent papers in the charge of a branch, and in these instances it has been necessarily limited to those for a few years. It is, then, in connection with these two processes that relief should be sought.

21. As to docketing; under closer supervision, which implies the devotion of more time by supervisors to the training of clerks, it could be greatly improved and ften much curtailed. The idea of uniformity throughout a branch Registry, and indeed throughout the office should be always kept in view. It would, however, be still better business if this work could be appreciably reduced.

22.

It seems feasible enough by a simple alteration of system to effect these objects by a change which would limit the separate docketing of registered units very considerably and cut down the labour of handling papers in the Registries.

23. Beginning from a date ahead to be determined, the first paper received of any new series of a formal and routine character, or otherwise suited to such treatment, would be placed in a jacket, to be followed by subsequent communications as is done in the case of the Tropical African Service files, see paragraph 8 (b). Communications received on more important and complex questions would continue to be registered under a minute paper as now.

There does not appear to be any insuperable difficulty in the way of such a dual system.

The jacket system has been tried in the Colonial Office and proved successful. Its extension somewhat on the lines of the present proposal was suggested from the East African and Mediterranean Registry some time ago, but it was turned down without real consideration. It is, however, a very well known system throughout the Government Departments. A beginning was made in the West African Registry just previous to the outbreak of war, of keeping together connected series of documents under Minute Papers, but the plan was not extended owing to the force of circumstances.

24. To bring about the change the Central Registry would continue to stamp all communcations with a registered number from the annual office series, taking more care to stamp all enclosures, excepting certificates and such like originals, and, after making the usual brief entries in the Daily Register, which should account for all receipts and continue to be indexed nominally, pass the tagged up with enclosures verified and complete, to the appropriate branch Registry.

papers when

properly 25, A series in jackets would be deposited, when with the Registry and out of action, in the "put by" bundle under the registered number of the first paper in it, and there is no good reason why series under Minute papers should not be similarly deposited. Thus the waiting stage (see paragraph 6) would be eliminated, there would be one fixed resting place for any series out of action. Papers in the Registry could be produced complete at once on call, and be replaced with equal facility. Å

(1) Separate suggestions including plan for continuous survey have been made already.