54

H.—l4

General Remarks. The general records —in a departmental sense —are few. These general records should he kept on the method recommended. New Zealand State-guaranteed Advances Office. General Remarks. We find that it is the practice in the Department for the Receiver to open all correspondence. This is purely for departmental reasons, and, as a large number of letters contain remittances, there appears to be no objection to this practice provided that it is a rule that letters are to be immediately handed over to the Record Clerk. There are few " records " in the usual departmental sense of the term kept in this Department. Files are kept in respect of advances made, and the current files number about 25,000, filed in alphabetical order. This method appears to be quite satisfactory in this Department, but there is a weakness in that record is not kept either of general inquiries or of general matters. A yearly series system dealing with general files was in operation until 1910, and should not have been discontinued. A fresh start should be made as early as possible for recording these general matters, on the series system, with typewritten indexes. Again, in connection with " staff files," these are kept in alphabetical order by the Correspondence Clerk. They should be kept on the lines laid down in the General Report, and probably with the Record Clerk (they number only 7 sixty). Letter-books : In this Department carbon sheets are filed in alphabetical order and serve as a letter-book. It is said that reference is frequently made to these as a result of the want of a general index. Accommodation for files appears to be inadequate in this Department. Superannuation Department. Present System. Remarks. General book register. Series system with typewritten index is Superannuation card register and index com- recommended, bined. These files are also recorded in the general register. There is no apparent need for this. Tourist Department. Present System. Remarks. A book register is used which attempts to effect No real record of correspondence is kept hi a combination between a register and index. this Department. Several small indexes are in use, which, if a proper system of indexing were introduced, would be unnecessary. The proposed series and typewritten index system should be adopted. General Remarks. There appears to be a general lack of co-ordination and co-operation between the various branches and the record-room in this Department. The Accountant keeps and numbers files " for convenience." The staff files are also under the control of another officer. If these matters were centralized under the direction of the Record Clerk, and rearrangement effected of the present staff engaged in record work, staff, and despatch, a great saving should result. The Treasury. Present System. Remarks. One general file with yearly numbers. The old The series system with typewritten precis and register and index have been done away with, index should he adopted, and a loose-leaf tabulated record book adopted. General Remarks. A great part of the time of the Record Clerk is occupied in doing work which really belongs to the Accountant's Branch and Loans Branch, <fee. This work could be allocated to the various branches concerned. The tabulated record-book saved one entry of the subject in recording, but by adopting the system recommended and a rearrangement of the duties of officers of this branch a further saving of time and labour should result. Valuation Department. Present System. Remarks, Card register and index are in use. Adoption of serieafsystem and typewritten in dexes is recommended. General Remarks. This is the only Department where both the register and index have been wholly kept on cards. Only a very small proportion of the correspondence is recorded. The bulk of the papers relate to " assessments," and these papers are kept by the clerks dealing with such matter. Papers of a miscellaneous character are kept in order of districts and unrecorded. If these papers are worth keeping they should form part of the general record system. The Correspondence Clerk carries out the duties of Record Clerk, about two hundred files being dealt with yearly.