CO129-321 - Public Offices & Others - 1903 — Page 760

Dior massa, 17%

ENCLOSURE B.

753

1

Singapore,

Dec. 21, 1903.

Sir,

1. Referring to your letter No.2371 of Oct.30,1902 I have the honour to inform you that I expect to be in Hongkong in November 1903 and that I shall be happy to undertake the work of indexing the Council Chamber Library and of revising the system by which documents are filed and recorded in your office.

2. I note that the honorarium to be paid me on completion of the task is one hundred pounds sterling.

3. I presume that the purely clerical part of the work will be done by a clerk in your office, and I therefore suggest that, in order to save time and to facilitate the work, during the next ten months the following work should be done by a clerk in your department :-

Let a list be made on cards similar to the enclosed of every volume in the Council Chamber Library. I enclose cards as samples or models for the guidance of the clerk. It will be seen that one covers unofficial literature, another official literature, and another serial publications.

This is purely mechanical work and is a necessary preliminary to any work on the re-arrangement and cataloguing of the library.

4. Would you kindly acknowledge the receipt of this letter, addressing your communication to me care of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, Rangoon, Burma.

5. My address during March, April, May, and June 1903 will be care of Sir Frank Swettenham, K.C.M.G., Singapore.

The Hon. F.H.May,C.M.G.

Colonial Secretary of Hongkong.

I have the honour,

etc. etc.

signed

ALLEYNE IRELAND.

(THE CARDS referred to in paragraph 3 above are not enclosed with this copy, as they have no bearing upon the matter treated of in my letter)