CO129-328 - Governor Nathan - 1905 [1-6] — Page 261

256

1653

which is at present under the charge of the 2nd. Clerk, should

be made a separate Branch of the Department with Mr. Guterres

(the 2nd. Clerk) as 1st. Clerk of the Branch on a salary equal

to that of the 1st. Clerk in the Harbour Office (viz.- $2,160

to 72,400); and that in recognition of his long service and

of the responsible nature of his duties Mr. Guterres should

be allowed the maximum salary of the grade and the retention

of his present personal allowance (#180 per annum).

The Harbour Master further recommended

that the 3rd. Clerk (Mr. Botelho) should be promoted to 1st.

Clerk in the Harbour Office on the initial pay of the post

($2,160) and that he also should be allowed to retain his

present personal allowance of $300 per annum.

The adoption of these recommendations

would have involved the addition of one clerk to the Depart-

ment and an increase in the Estimates for 1906 of $1,320.

After careful consideration I have satis-

4.

fied myself that the clerical staff of the Department requires

to be strengthened, and I agree with the Harbour master that

owing to the technical knowledge required and responsibility

involved in keeping accounts, the Mercantile Office should

now be placed under the charge of a clerk in a higher grade

then here to fore.

I am also of opinion that the dissatis-

faction in the clerical branch of the Department might be

removed by the application of the grading scheme recommended

for the Post Office in my Confidential Despatch of the 8th.

instant.

5.

That scheme,

however, stopped at the

maximum