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38
The Committee considered this Report and made the following recommendations
to the Vestry which were approved on the 20th April, 1897.
"1. That an Assistant Clerk with experience in Solicitor's office be appointed
in Mr. Nicholl's place at a salary commencing at £150 per annum, and
rising by annual increments of £5 to £200, his duties to include Minuting,
Litigation, and general office work under the supervision of the Vestry Clerk.
"2. That Mr. Milne devote the whole of his time to the duties of the
Vestry Clerk's department, the checking work now performed by him to be done
in the Accountant's Department, as already settled by your Committee on the
. 17th day of July, 1896.
"3. That an Office Boy be appointed in the Clerk's Department at a
salary of 8/- per week, his age not to exceed 16 years,"
with the result that the position of an Assistant Clerk was advertised, and Mr. M.
Gardner appointed to the vacancy on the 18th May, 1897.
In the following month it again became necessary to make some slight
alteration in the duties of the office, as owing to the resignation of Mr. A. O. Clarke,
upon his appointment as Assistant Clerk to the Lewisham District Board, so much
of Mr. Clarke's duties as related to the work of an Assistant Vestry Clerk were
assigned to Mr. J. A. D. Milne, who was promoted to the position of Chief Clerk
in view of his 5 years' service in my Department, whilst the legal work was provided
or by a separate appointment of an Assistant Solicitor, at a salary commencing
at £200, and rising by annual increments of £10 to £250 per
annum, and this arrangement was confirmed by the Vestry on the
6th July, 1897. Applications for the post having been invited by advertisement, Mr.
Francis S. Robinson, Solicitor, of Wenden, Essex, was duly appointed by the Vestry
on the 7th September, 1897. At the same Meeting, Mr. Gardner's resignation upon
his appointment to a Conveyancing Clerkship in a private firm of solicitors was
received, and the question of filling the vacancy having been referred to the Officers'
Committee, I pointed out that, in view of the assistance now granted me, it would
be sufficient to appoint a Clerk without legal knowledge, with experience in
Municipal Work, and knowledge of Shorthand, at a salary commencing at £120 and
rising by annual increments of £5 to £150 per annum. Owing to the urgency of the
matter, this appointment was forthwith advertised, and on the 8th October, 1897,
Mr. Walter L. Black, of 25, Lawrence Road, Bow, E., was appointed to the vacancy.
I arranged for the necessary assistance in the work of the Assessment Committee to
be performed by Mr. R. M. Malcolm. My staff now consists of an Assistant Solicitor,
a Chief Clerk, two Assistant Clerks, and an Office boy. I have to thank the Vestry
for thus placing my staff upon an efficient basis, as I think it will suffice to deal with
the work for many years to come. I feel that I have been a good deal handicapped
in the past by trying to cope with duties at least doubled, with insufficient staff, and
I trust in future to keep all sections of the Vestry's work promptly and efficiently
executed without any arrears.