CO885-(6-7) — Page 274

Printed for the use of the Colonial Office.

Report of Committee of Inquiry into the Working of the Emigrants' Information Office.

Miscellaneous, No. 106.

277

PUBLIC RECORD

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OFFICE

61

Reference :-

C.O. 885

6

RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE PRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- GHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

1. Your Committee in presenting their report deem it hardly necessary to refer at length to the origin and establishment of the Emigrants' Information Office, but content themselves by stating that, owing to the condition of the labour market in 1884 and 1885, and the advantageous fields for emigration which at that time were available, considerable pressure was brought to bear upon the Governments in office during that period by the leaders of emigration societies and others, and eventually the Office was established, in 1886, under the control of the Colonial Office, and under the direct management of a voluntary committee consisting of members appointed by the Secretary for the Colonies, the Hon. E. Stanhope, M.P.

2. The object of the Office was the collection and diffusion of useful information for intending emigrants, and the Treasury allowed a grant of 6501, annually towards the expenses of the Office, and also allowed all printing to be done without charge by the Stationery Office. The Treasury grant has since been raised to 1,000l. a year.

3. Since 1886 the Information Office has been conducted upon the lines then laid down, and has had the advantage of the able chairmanship of Mr. C. P. Lucas, of the Colonial Office.

In 1892 the committee of management appointed a sub-committee to carry out the details of the Office, and the whole committee now only meet three times a year, unless occasion arises for summoning a special meeting.

4. Your Committee in conducting the inquiry referred to them have considered the

subject under the following heads :--

(a.) Management.

(b.) Collection of information.

(c.) Diffusion of information.

(d.) Branch Offices.

5. They are of opinion that the present system, viz., that of a voluntary and unpaid Management. committee under the supervision of the Colonial Office, is the best system of management that can be devised; they consider that, as original members of the committee fall away from time to time for various causes, it would be wise for the Secretary of State for the Colonies to make new appointments of such persons as are specially interested in, and specially well informed in, the question of emigration.

6. As, however, it is hardly possible to find a purely voluntary committee which will be able to give the constant attention to the Office which is necessary, your Committee think that the chairman of the committee of management should be a gentleman from the Colonial Office, who should have the chairmanship and the general supervision of the Information Office assigned to him as part of his regular work to be discharged during office hours.

7. Upon this point, however, your Committee think only right to say that they have not received from the various witnesses examined a unanimous testimony.

8. Under the head of "Management " your Committee have also carefully considered the question of any improvement in the present arrangements in the conduct of the Office, and they are of opinion that, at a convenient season, when any alteration of the personnel of the Office should take place, it would be desirable to combine the offices of editor and chief clerk. If this were done, it would be necessary to have a good second- division clerk under the editor and a boy writer.

9. The above arrangement would hardly lessen expenditure, as it would, of course, be necessary to raise the salary of the new chief of the Office beyond that now paid to the

U 91849. 50. 4/96. G. 66. Wt. 1898. E. & S.