[Director forwds return showing saving of expenditure in 1870 as compared with 1869] 1
The original estimates for 1870 (Victoria Parliamentary paper B 2, p. 12, ordered to be printed 8 March 1870), prepared by the Macpherson administration, showed a total of £5,650 for M's activities. However, savings were requested in all areas by the McCulloch Government that took office in April. Although the request to M has not been found, in M to J. McCulloch, 23 April 1870 (in this edition as 70-04-23a), M itemized his proposals for reducing the budget for 1870, amounting to a revised total of £4,990. M made no provision for the Inspector of Forests (William Ferguson). Revised estimates were published on 17 May 1870 (Parliamentary paper B 60), showing an overall reduction in expenditure in the Chief Secretary's Department of £13,780, 2.1 percent of the March estimates. M's budget was reduced by 20 percent.
Compare the budgets passed by Parliament for M:
The approved budget for 1869 was £5230, under the following heads:
Government Botanist and Director of Botanic Gardens, with Quarters 610
Wages of Gardeners, Botanical Collector, Laborers, &c. 3,680
Purchase of Plants and Seeds 150
Expense of publishing work on Australian Plants 150
Stores, Timber, Bricks, and Stationery 350
Forage for three (3) Cart Horses, &c. 140
Transit and other Expenses 120
Travelling Expenses 40
That for 1870 was £4,176, under the following heads:
Government Botanist and Director of Botanic Gardens, &c, with Quarters 610
Inspector of Forests (with Quarters)* 250
*This officer also performs the duties of Principal Assistant at the Botanic Gardens
Wages of Gardeners, Botanical Collector, Laborers, &c. 2,691
Purchase of Plants and Seeds and Expense of publishing work
on Australian Plants 130 Stores, Timber, Bricks, and Stationery 250 Forage for two Cart Horses 85 Transit and Incidental Expenses 120 Travelling Expenses 40
(Respectively, Victoria. Votes and proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, 1869, vol. 1, p. 51; 1870, session 1, vol. 1, p. 86, approved 31 May 1870.
Letter not found; item is a register entry only, of a letter dated 3 May 1870.
Please cite as “FVM-70-05-03,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on