17

I.—B

Enclosure B. Sir,— Wellington, 6th July, 1893. I have the honour to make to you the following representations regarding Library salaries, and regarding the estimates for the same for the current financial year : — On the 17th April last I forwarded you my recommendations on this subject, and followed them up on the 26th April with an explanation, and on the 29th May with a correction. In the printed estimates for the current year these recommendations have not been carried out. These estimates provide for Library salaries, as follows : —• Librarian, nil. £ s. d. Assistant-Librarian ... ... ... . ... ... ... 250 0 0 Second Assistant ... ... ... ... ... ... 150 0 0 Extra assistance, and Mailman during sesssion ... ... ... 144 0 0 Total • £544 0 0 Now, the amounts voted last year were : — £ s. d. 1. Librarian ... ... ... ... ... ... 250 0 0 2.. Assistant-Librarian ... ... .. ... ... 250 0 0 3. Second Assistant ~. ... ... ... ... ... 150 0 0 4. Extra assistance, and Mailman during session ... ... 130 0 0 5. Cataloguing Assistant ... ... ... ... ... 120 0 0 Total ... ... ... ... £900 0 0 On deducting the £120 for the special work of the cataloguer (temporary), the vote for ordinary Library salaries last year was £780. The items Nos. 1, 4, and 5 of the above vote of £900 (£250, £130, and £120) were in practice formed into one fund of £500, out of which all salaries, save those of the First and Second Assistants, were paid ; and the total expenditure on Library salaries last year was as follows :— Librarian, nil. £ s. d. Assistant Librarian ... ... ... ... ... ... 250 0 0 Second Assistant (temporary)... ... ... ... ... 150 0 0 Temporary Assistant ... ... ... ... ... 126 13 0 Attendant ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 110 4 0 Mailman during session ... ... ... ... ... 45 4 0 Total for ordinary staff ... ... ... ... 682 1 0 Cataloguing Assistant (special) ... ... ... ... 156 10 0 Sub-Assistant for cataloguing... ... ... ~. ... 4100 Total expenditure ... ... ... ... ... 843 1 0 Unexpended balance ... ... ... ... 56190 £900 0 0 So that, leaving out of consideration any special work, such as that of the catalogue, the vote for salaries this year should be at least £682, if the same staff and the same rates of pay as existed last year are to be retained. Yet the printed estimates provide, as shown above, for £544 only. I submit that the Library cannot be rightly maintained in working order for such a sum ; and I desire to point out that even the sum of £682 Is., paid in salaries last year for the ordinary staff, is less than any sum voted for Library salaries for the past fifteen years. The following table shows this:— Amounts voted for Ordinary Library Salaries (exclusive of any Special Work or Gratuities) from 1878 to 1891 inchisive. Year. Amount. Year. Amount. 1878 ... ... £690 1885 ... ... £780 1879 • ... ... 715 1886 ... ... 790 1880 ... ... 715 1887 ... ... 790 1881 735 1888 ... ... 800 1882 ... ... 760 1889 ... ... 800 1883 ... ... 860* 1890 ... ... 779 1884 925* 1891 ... ... 730 The Library is probably nearly three times as large as it was fifteen years ago, its importance and value are much greater .than then, and the responsibilities and work connected with it are proportionately increased. Why, then, should the total of salaries paid now be less than the vote for salaries in 1878, and why should the estimates for this year's salaries be £146 less than that vote? I subjoin a statement of the salaries paid in the Parliament Library of New South Wales, and desire to invite comparison between it and the estimates of last year, and of the present year for salaries in the General Assembly Library. Be it remembered that the Parliament Library of New South Wales and the General Assembly Library are just about equal in point of size, number of volumes, and (possibly) value : —

* Note. —Tho votes for 1883 and 1884 may include some special service.