Ferdinand von Mueller

See T. Wilson to M, 11 August 1893 (in this edition as 93-08-11b).

The file contains a copy of the letter from the Public Service Board, 20 July 1893, declaring that G. Renner, 'who was, on the 25th March 1892, transferred temporarily to the Mines Department, be retransferred to the Government Botanist's Branch of the Chief Secretary's Department'. On 30 September 1893, Wilson minuted to the Department's chief finance clerk, James Killen: 'If I recollect rightly Mr Renner was actually transferred (that is permanently transferred & not merely lent) to the Mines last year, & has been sent back to us because they wished to reduce their Exp. In other words, I might have declined taking him back & have left the Mines to provide for him till a permanent place could be found. Am I correct?' The reply appears as annotations on the minute: against ' permanently ' is written 'No — Temporarily', and at the end of the minute, 'I do not think you could properly have done this. Col. Couchman's letter is correct.' The minute was mistakenly filed with an unrelated letter, M to T. Wilson, 29 September 1893 (in this edition as 93-09-29a).

The second comment refers to an editorial in the Age (Melbourne), 29 September 1893, p. 4, criticizing the transferring of Renner to the Government Botanist's branch and subsequent correspondence, including a letter from T. Couchman, Chairman of the Public Service Board. Relevant clippings are included in the file.

The Age editorial began: 'A curious illustration of the blissful condition of the Public Service came out last night in the Assembly, in the course of a discussion on the Estimates. A new clerk at £188 a year has been put into the Government Botanist's department, and the total cost of that office, in spite of general retrenchment, has therefore jumped up from £1479 in 1893-93 to £1607 in 1892-94. The circumstance was so peculiar that the Premier was asked for an explanation. He gave it. The clerk was formerly engaged in the Mining department. There was nothing for him to do there, and he was shifted over to Dr. von Mueller to botanise with the baron pending a distressed country being able to find something for him to do. The man of many herbs has no more need of him than Mr. Howitt has, but it would never do to have a civil servant "without a local habitation" as well as a name; and so, according to the Premier, the gentleman is considerately put to ruralise amongst the plants a little while, until somebody can somewhere find something for him to do by way of partially earning his salary.' The editorial went on with criticisms about an overcrowded Public Service in a time of economic hardship. The editorial provoked a reply (Age, 30 September 1893, p. 10) from the Chairman of the Public Service Board, T. Couchman: 'The Public Service Board regrets to observe on perusing your leading article of this morning that you still persist in misrepresenting its action. The clerk referred to was an officer of the Government Botanist's branch. Owing to slackness of work he was temporarily transferred to assist in the Forestry branch of the Mines department. When his services were no longer required there he was sent back to the botanist, pending other arrangements, as was practically explained by the hon. the Premier in Parliament last night.' The Editor of the Age responded: 'Mr. Patterson stated in the Legislative Assembly that the clerk in question, having nothing to do in the Mining department, had been put into the Government Botanist's branch until work could be found for him. Mr. Couchman admits that this is the case. He is there in addition to the staff of last year, and Mr. Patterson told the Assembly that he is not wanted there, but merely put there because there is no other post at present open. Where, then, is the misrepresentation?' The exchange was accompanied by a letter from 'A Gardener' to the Editor: 'In your leading article this morning, you state that a "clerk was formerly engaged in the Mining department. There was nothing for him to do there, and he was shifted over to Dr. von Mueller to botanise with the baron pending a distressed country being able to find something for him to do. The man of many herbs has no more need of him than Mr. Howitt has," &c., the fact being that the baron has so much need of the clerk that at present, and for some time past, he has paid an extra clerk out of his own salary.' The file also includes a letter from T. Couchman to the Premier, 30 September 1893, concerning the newspaper clippings: 'I beg to invite your attention to the accompanying marked portion of a Leading Article, published in the Age Newspaper of yesterday's date, and Board's reply published in this morning's issue. The officer referred to is Mr G. Renner, and I beg to ask whether it is your desire that his services should be dispensed with, and if so, from what date.' On 11 October Wilson minuted: 'CS says "[see] votes"'. Renner had been transferred to the Mines Department in March 1892; see M to T. Wilson, 31 March 1892 (in this edition as 92-03-31b).