Ferdinand von Mueller

McCulloch responded: 'I am much pleased to learn that the Director of the Botanical Gardens has resolved on reducing the expenditure connected with the Botanical Gardens and I assure Dr Mueller that I shall most willingly meet his wishes in economising the expenditure. | Wilhelmi has been so long a servant of the Government and is placed under the operation of the Civil Service Act — it will be necessary to compensate him if his services are dispensed with and as the object that Dr Mueller has in view can be met by the dismissal of Heyne which can be done without any compensation if that course will be taken. There appears to be little difference between the salaries of the two servants. Dr Mueller will therefore have the goodness to give notice to Heyne that his services will no longer be required. | I will thank Dr Mueller to say whether the number of men cannot be considerably reduced and I may say that I think the wages are too high.'

M replied on 1 March 1866: 'The hon. the Chief Secretary being evidently very imperfectly informed of the value to be attached to Mr Heyne's as compared to Mr Wilhelmi's service, I beg leave to point out respectfully, that not only Mr Heyne's educational and professional knowledge far exceeds that of Mr Wilhelmi, but also that his services are at an average for four hours longer every day available to the Department. Thus Mr Heyne's remuneration is in reality less than half of that of Mr Wilhelmi. If the latter had to take the former's place, a measure which for many reasons would prove impracticable and very disadvantageous, an additional sum would have to be paid for extra assistant labor at the office. Mr Wilhelmi's services are comparatively of no value to the department except for manual work at the museum and this could be carried out at a much smaller rate of remuneration. I further have the honor to point out, that Mr Heyne has been in a superior position in the horticultural branch of the establishment ever since 1857, which Mr Wilhelmi acceded to an assistant position without my having had an opportunity to give an opinion on the creation of such, only one year before, his engagement from 1853-1856 having been temporary, interrupted and very subordinate. The compensation for the discontinuance of Mr Wilhelmi's office, I would beg leave to point out, might be saved by transferring his services to any other Department, for which his labours might prove valuable. To dispense with the services of Mr Heyne, who supports an aged mother, the Lady of a physician, would be an act of much greater severity, than discontinuing the services of Mr Wilhelmi, the latter being entitled to a compensation, the former not. From my letter attached to my return of the employees, to which I beg to draw most respectfully the special attention of the honor. the Chief Secretary, the reasons will be apparent, why the number of the employees cannot be reduced without crippling same branch of the department. The only saving, which without serious injury to the establishment, could be effected, is that of the salary of the present assistant in the botanical branch. If the honorable the Chief Secretary desires it, the daily wages shall be red uced by from 6d to 1/, though the rate of payment is lower than in most other departments of Government, at least if it is considered , that no provision is made for ordinary illness, that to the system of eight hours work is not adhered, that for extra night duty and other work in extra hours no additional remuneration is offered and tha t only four holidays are kept.'

McCulloch added on 2 March: 'I am of opinion that the services of both may be dispensed with without [...] to the department'.

M replied on 5 March: 'In consonance with the desire expressed in the minute of the honorable the Chief Secretary dated 2/3/66 I have the honor to submit the following suggestions to effect a saving in the current expenses of the establishment without impairing materially its efficiency. That the Office of the Assistant be abolished at the end or the middle of the year 1866 or at any earlier period decided on by the hon. the Chief Secretary and that the occupant of the office may receive notification to that effect at an early day, in order that the sudden cessation of his appointment may not fall with too much severity on him. And further I would most respectfully solicit the favor of the hon. the Chief Secretary to confer on the Assistant hitherto here employed some other small appointment as may be or become vacant, such perhaps as that of a copying clerk or that of a station master on one of the smaller railway stations. To carry further out the wishes for economy expressed by the honorable the Chief Secretary I have reduced already the income of the horticultural officer (Mr Heyne) by two shillings a day, and the wages of many of the other employees by 6d a day.'

See also M to J. McCulloch, 7 March 1866.