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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

TIIT.

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Reference :-

C.O. 885

BE RE

CED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

8

ALLY V

T PERMISSION OF THE

PUBLIC

RD OFFICE, LONDON

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO |

Appendix III., not printed.

5,140-80

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than correspondence, some of these volumes will probably soon be removed to the Record Office. In view therefore of the general necessity of relieving the present accumulation and of making room for future papers we recommend that papers older than 25 years be removed to the Record Office as soon as weeded and bound.

28. We are of opinion that unless the bound volumes are to be deposited in a special room, or elsewhere than in the corridors of the Office, they should be stored in closed presses rather than in open shelving. We feel bound in this connection to draw attention to the strong objections raised of recent years by the Office of Works to placing any further presses in the passage-ways of the Office, and to their objections to the existence of some of those already in use, partly because of their covering the ventilating spaces and the gratings of the heating apparatus, and partly because of the danger from fire. course also the objection that they are unsightly.

PARING, SILKING, &c.

There is of

29. The practice of reducing in bulk papers of five years old, by paring off blank pages, replacing brass-ended tags by silk ties, &c., was a measure adopted in consequence of the decisions in 1880 to stop binding, and in 1889 to allow unbound papers to accumulate for 25 years to 1899; and it undoubtedly led to economy of space, and to increased tidiness and cleanliness. It was suspended in We do not 1896, by which time papers up to 1888 inclusive had been so treated. advise that this practice be resumed, partly because of other measures recommended, and mainly because, as a result of the system of weeding and binding at ten years old, the unbound papers will probably be less numerous We are of opinion and bulky, and therefore more easily stored and dealt with. that every available effort should be directed to the more important work of weeding and binding under the Schedule.

NUMBER AND BULK OF PAPERS TO BE TREATED.

30. The total number of registered papers only, for the years 1874 to 1902, is about three-fourths of a million, contained in 5,113 bundles, as shewn in the statistical table annexed. They occupy some half mile of press shelving, Those from 1874 to 1892 are and are roughly estimated to weigh 50 tons. chiefly stored in the closed presses, &c., in the corridors on the second floor; those from 1893 onwards in the Sub-Registries and adjoining presses; the Accounts, General, Honours, &c., papers are kept in those Branches; and there are some small groups of papers in other parts of the building.

31. The number and bulk of the papers to be treated will render the task one of considerable magnitude and difficulty. It will be necessary first to clear off the arrears from 1874 up to the ten years' limit, and this is the heaviest part of the work. Papers are now accruing at the rate of nearly three tons a year, and merely to keep pace with these incoming papers would require the disposal, during each year of the work, of from three to two years of the older papers of 1874 and later years. For example: during the next four years, to end of 1907, new papers will accrue probably equal in bulk to those for the ten years 1874 to 1888, and it is clear that if these latter only have been disposed of, no real It is there- diminution of the pressure of accumulation will have taken place. fore necessary that, taking those four years as an example, the arrangements should be such that the procedure should be at twice the rate mentioned, i.e., papers from 1874 to 1891 should be treated, thus leaving 16 years' papers in hand at the beginning 1908; and these could be somewhat less rapidly dealt with until the ten years' limit is reached and maintained. The arrears from 1874 once cleared off, papers would automatically be examined and sorted out for destruction as they pass the ten years' period; weeding and destruction proceeding pari pasu with the accruing of new papers. Thus papers of this year, 1903, would come up for weeding in 1914; 1904 papers in 1913, and so on. SPECIAL STAFF AND ACCOMMODATION.

89. We recommend that a special staff be assigned for these duties. It was suggestend in Minutes in 1883 that the staff of the Geographical Depart- ments should go through the papers and mark them; and Sir Robert Mende

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proposed for consideration that this should be done half-yearly by the Principal Clerks of the Departments. We do not, however, think this necessary or practicable, and we recommend that the duties should, as the Treasury originally suggested, "devolve on the clerks of the Record or Registry rooms.'

The process, however, must be a close and careful one, and the papers to be treated are very numerous and bulky, and we do not think that the duties are compatible with the present current work of the Registry clerks. We therefore recommend the creation of a separate Department of the Registry, under the supervision of the Chief Registrar, to be charged with the selection of valueless papers, stamping of entries in Registers and Index Books, preparing for binding, repairing, and deposit.

We recommend the appointment to this Department of Staff Officer or Higher Grade Second Division Clerk responsible to the Chief Registrar, and of not less than one Second Division Clerk and one or two Boy Clerks. We think it important that this Staff Officer, or officer actually conducting the work, should be charged solely and exclusively with this duty, and that he should be an experienced clerk, conversant with the office corres- pondence and methods of record, and able to appreciate the relative unimportance papers and the manifold points likely to arise; for however well the schedule be drawn, much must be left to discretion in its working. The disposal of arrears would take some years, after which the daties should go on regularly as part of

of

the office routine.

a

33. For accommodation we think it will be necessary to assign one room of moderate size for current work, with ample table space for papers and

shelving for books, &c.; also a separate room adjoining for storing the old Registers and Index Books (now in Chief Registry), with necessary conveniences for searching, and with accommodation conveniently near for storing the volumes of papers as

bound.

MARKING PAPERS ON DISPOSAL.

34. In the foregoing recommendations we have dealt mainly with papers already accrued in the office. We have also considered the advisability of instituting some system of marking papers as they accrue, immediately after disposal and before putting by, with a view to facilitate the ultimate process of selection. We do not however consider it probable that such a system, requiring to be carried out by various persons and in different departments, would prove so efficient or trustworthy as seriously to aid, and still less to dispense with, the later thorough examination; and it would, moreover, be difficult and troublesome in its actual detailed operation. We do not therefore recommend the formal institution of a system of marking papers on disposal. RETAINING DUPLICATES OF DESPATCHES, &c., AS SENT OUT. 35. We have also considered the question, specially referred to us, of retaining with the current papers duplicates of despatches and letters as copied for signature, and destroying the original drafts and we think it desirable and advantageous, in the case of important despatches and letters consisting of more than a few sentences, that when the draft is only legible with difficulty such duplicates should be made and retained with the file for current reference and future record but we advise the preservation of the actual drafts until the ten years' limit has been passed.

:

439

IV. Not

PREVENTION OF ACCRETION: NON-REGISTRATION. 36. We have considered, apart from the question of destroying papers already accumulated, whether any further measures can be taken to prevent the Appendix accruing of official records. We have had before us the annexed Minute by the printed. Chief Registrar detailing the method of disposing of papers of small or temporary value, without registration, ie., without including them in the annual official series of numbers, or placing them on formal or separate record :—

a. By attaching to papers already registered.

b. By so attaching and making "further Minute."

e. By transferring in original with stamped authority.

d. By special L.F.F. prepared for particular classes (Police, &c., &c.).

G

By transfer to other departments and offices for disposal.

f. By necessary checking, office distribution and use, and other summary

disposal.

13805

B