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30
OFFICIAL STAFF.
VESTRY CLERK'S DEPARTMENT.
As foreshadowed in my last annual report, it became necessary to re-arrange the
duties of the staff in my department so as to cope efficiently with the largely increased
duties thrown upon them by the important additional schemes undertaken by
the Vestry in recent years. Upon the appointment of Mr. D. A. Nicholl, of my
department, to the Deputy Town Clerkship of Scarborough, in April, 1897,1 reported
fully to the Officers' Committee upon this question, and made the following proposals
for the re-arrangement of my staff.
" Gentlemen,
" I beg to submit the following report upon the re-arrangement of the staff in
my office consequent upon the resignation of Mr. D. A. Nicholl, and the largely increased
work of the Vestry.
"My present staff consists of—
"Permanent:—
"(a) Assistant Vestry Clerk. He takes the Minutes, and attends to the
correspondence of, and incident to: (1) Vestry meetings; (2) Public Health
Committee; (3) Law and Parliamentary Committee; (4) Officers' Committee;
(5) Lighting Committee; (6) Assessment Committee. He also assists
me in Litigation and Police Court work.
"(b) Shorthand and Minuting Clerk, Mr. J. A. D. Milne (partial services).
Part of Mr. Milne's time is taken up with checking Rate Collectors' books, etc.,
in the Accountant's Department. He also takes the Minutes, and attends to the
correspondence of: (1) Works Committee; (2) Town Hall Committee; (3)
Technical Instruction Committee; (4) Baths Committee. He also keeps a register
of the Vestry's Deeds and Documents.
"(c) Junior Clerk, Mr. R. M. Malcolm, who keeps a record of all 'Letters
Received,' and takes (in shorthand) general correspondence connected with the
Valuation Committee, Finance Committee, Library Committee, Local Government
Board, and London County Council, and letters from other Boards requiring
information and statistics. He also attends Committee meetings, and takes
minutes in the unavoidable absence of other Clerks. He also copies letters sent
out, and copies and reproduces Agenda of Committees and other documents, and
does general office work, as there is no office boy in this department.
"Temporary:—
"(a) Mr. D. A. Nicholl, appointed temporarily to do the special conveyancing
and other work in connection with the Moira Place Scheme, and the
attendance on and minuting of the Housing of the Working Classes Committee,
to which has recently been transferred the duties of the Burial Board. Owing to
the delays caused by the London County Council and the Local Government
Board, in completing this scheme, the rapid growth of the Vestry's general
Business, consequent upon the Electric Lighting Scheme, and the exceptional
amount of litigious work, Mr. Nicholl has been performing conveyancing and
legal work connected therewith which otherwise would have necessitated the
appointment of an Assistant Clerk some time ago.
"No addition has been made to my permanent staff for 5 years, nor has any
temporary assistance been engaged since Mr. Nicholl's appointment about three
years ago, although the work of the Vestry has increased enormously since that time,