Sessional_Paper_1949 — Page 101

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Visible edge index.

210. The records in the visible edge index now installed with this officer are out of date. This index was intended to contain the service history of executive officers, women confidential assistants, clerks, office attendants and messengers.

211. It is recommended that this index be brought up-to-date and the cards of the index should be placed in order of grade, rank and seniority. The record card should contain the service history of an officer to assist transfers. Coloured signals should be placed on the visible edge of an officer's card for the period he is away on leave. The visible edge should be used for other signalling purposes, for that is the main benefit of such equipment.

Registry enquiries.

212. Requests are made to this officer to trace files before enquiries are made to the respective registries.

213. An officer's time is not saved by this indirect form of enquiry and it is recommended that the Chief Clerk should be requested to produce a file only after a registry has failed.

Transit of papers from and to H.E. The Governor.

214. The Chief Clerk is now required to record the receipt and despatch of these

papers.

215. It is recommended that a clerk in the Confidential Registry preferably the Safe-Hand Clerk, be employed on this work.

Routing of outgoing correspondence.

216. The practice of routing outgoing correspondence and files via the Chief Clerk's office should cease, as the First Clerk who scrutinized these files to keep himself informed of Government business made no useful contribution to a case at this stage.

Monthly departmental progress reports.

217. About 24 Departments prepare Monthly Progress Reports. Original reports are sent to H.E. the Governor and the duplicates circulated to administrative officers.

218. Although H.E. the Governor has directed that these reports should be brief, some reports were seen to contain 15 pages of closely typewritten words and figures. So large have some of these reports grown, that the Chief Clerk is now required to prepare a precis of their contents.

219. It is recommended that Heads of Departments should again be instructed on what information should be included in their reports and that each report should include a short contents summary, when it should be unnecessary for the Chief Clerk to prepare a precis.

Authorizing despatch of telegrams.

220. It is the practice for the First Clerk to read all outward telegrams, excepting those from specified Departments. The reason for this was to ensure that the Depart- ments economized in the use of words.

221. It is recommended that the practice of routing telegrams via the First Clerk should be abolished. An officer should make sample texts of telegrams sent and offend- ing Departments guided as to the correct procedure.

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