Ferdinand von Mueller

1

See also M to J. McCulloch, 18 August 1870, and M to J. McCulloch, 11 September 1870 (in this edition as 70-09-11b).

Melbourne botan. Garden,

26/8/70

2

The main letter was registered on 30 August 1870, evidently including the list of proposed transfers dated 29 August.

Sir

It having been decided by the honorable the Chief Secretary, that no supplementary expenditure should be incurred in the botanic Garden in 1870, I have now the honor to propose the following transfer, as I feel myself extremely embarrassed to make reductions in the wages vote, because those employees, whom I can best spare claim seniority, and to deprive the establishment of the best, zealous and modest workers, simply because they may happen to be a few years less employed, would be detrimental to the best interests of the service. The reductions now proposed through transfer of some votes to the wages fund will not completely provide for the full pay of every employee til the end of the year, but render the discharge of any of them not necessary for some months to come. I beg also to remark, that it is not without sadness, that I propose these reductions, because after the enormous decrease of the estimates for 1870, which has fallen far more severely on the Department under my control than on most others, the service here in all branches is already very much circumscribed, and thus the transfer of the small special votes for publishing works, travelling expenses, aviary forage renders some branches of the service for the time annihilated; and I beg respectfully to add, that while I make this great sacrifice for the time, it must be distinctly understood, that the transfer this time proposed is not to imply a recommendation of mine, to do away with these items on future estimates, but on the contrary I shall probably find it necessary to recommend next year a recompensing transfer from the wages vote to that of literary work &c, as I cannot think that it is the wish of the honorable the Chief Secretary to abolish any of the workings of my establishment, all having proved instructive and remunerative and all standing in need of being continued for the best interests of the country.

The Undersecretary

Transfer proposed for favorable consideration of the hon. the Chief Secretary

to the vote for Tansit & Incidental Expenses

29/8/70

3

Odgers minuted the file: 'As there is not in any instance a sum unauthorized sufficient to admit of the proposed transfers will Dr von Mueller be so good as to indicate the Authorities to be cancelled with the amount of such cancellations respectively'. The letter was referred back to Mueller on 10 September and he returned it on the same day. M supplied the requested list of authorities to be cancelled in M to J. McCulloch, 11 September.