Ferdinand von Mueller

1

The letter is numbered I87/4007 within this file.

Melbourne

28 April, 1887.

H. Moors Esqr,

Acting Under Secretary.

Sir.

In compliance with the request of your memorandum of yesterday,

2

See M to C. Pearson, 29 March 1887 and the notes thereto. M sought Pearson's approval for a list of institutions and individuals that he enclosed to receive copies of his work on Acacias. This attracted the attention of the Premier, D. Gillies, who requested information about the cost of preparing the work.

I have the honor to report, that the preparing of each of the plates of Acacias,

3

Eventually published as B87.13.04 and B88.13.01.

first by

Thus each copy of a decade does cost not fully 1/11d.

4

Copies were advertised for sale at three shillings per decade; see Sydney morning herald, 3 December 1887, p. 13.

But as the expenditure in my Department is defrayed out of the ordinary item of publishing of plants, and as the portion of the work, done in the Gov. Printing Department is done by the ordinary staff and not by extra-hands, no special expenditure beyond ordinary departmental means is incurred by this publication. In distributing the decades, the Governm. Property in the Departments becomes pari passu

5

simultaneously and equally.

enriched through the litterary interchanges, while for educational and industrial purposes these decades will remain of importance for all times . Moreover there should be a considerable sale ; — and here I might instance, that the last edition of my volume on "select plants"

6

B85.12.03.

was sold in seven months from the Gov. Printing Office, covering not merely the whole printing expenditure, but rendering a portion of copies available for Gov. distribution free at the time. I may be allowed to add, that thus widely and permanently knowledge on utilitarian plants for the benefit of the rural and industrial population became dispersed without any loss to the Government monetarely,

7

monetarily?

and I would much recommend , that a new edition be brought out soon , numerous enquiries for this work on "select plants for industrial culture" occurring, and not a single copy being by purchase or otherwise obtainable.

8

A new edition was published the next year (B88.12.01).

In conclusion I may observe, that I am and have always been guided by the strictest principles of economy also in the litterary branch of my establishment also; thus the decades of the Acacias are brought out uncolored , as a chromo-lithographic issue of such a work would have doubled or tripled the expenditure.

9

The file was forwarded to the Premier's Office on 3 May (P87/1264). It was returned on 17 August with the approval 'of the List submitted' (i.e. the proposed distribution list for M's works on Acacias that M had submitted with his letter to Pearson) and an apology for the 'unavoidable' delay. The next day it was sent on to M who returned it on 19 August 'with best thanks'.

On 8 September 1887 E. Thomas, Secretary to the Premier, asked that 'the file P87/1264', concerning the 'cost of preparation of each plate of the Acacias for Lithographic Illustrations of Australian Acacias' again be sent to the Premier's Office. On 12 September Thomas returned the file, noting that 'the approved list of distribution has been withdrawn for reference in the Office' (J87/8133, unit 281, VPRS 3992/P, PROV).