Registrar-Generals-Department-Annual-report-1956-1957 — Page 41

PART X

MISCELLANEOUS

60.

Table XVIII shows the total revenue of the Department for 1956/57, amounting to $1,500,047.42 as against the previous year's total of $1,131,146.49. The total expenditure for the Department for 1956/57 was $712,619.79.

61. The Registrar General continued during the year to serve as a member of the Law Reform Committee, which was set up to examine and consider legislation enacted in the United Kingdom and to make recommendations, in the light of local circumstances, for the reform of the laws of the Colony, and attended a number of meetings of this Committee during the

year.

62. Discussions took place during the year leading to the transfer of the administration of the Births and Deaths Registry from the Medical Department to this Department, the actual transfer being scheduled to take effect as from the 1st April, 1957.

63. In order to reduce the amount of time spent by the clerical staff of the various sections in the copying and certifica- tion of documents, the purchase of a photostat copying machine was authorized. This was installed in the Department and commenced operation on 21st March, 1957, and is already proving of considerable value. The machine has great capa- bilities and is not only proving a benefit to the Department itself in the copying of Land Office, Marriage Registry and other records, but is being called upon to an ever increasing extent by other Government departments.

64. The volume of work in all sections of the Department throughout the year has continued to be heavy, and new records have been established in various branches.

65. The Registrar General desires to avail himself of this opportunity of recording his appreciation of the efficient man-

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