From Ferdinand von Mueller to Charles Gavan Duffy   8 July 1871

Melbourne, bot. Garden

8/7/71.

Sir

In response to your communication, received this day,¹ I have the honor to submit a new estimate of expenditure for the botanic Garden during 1871-1872.

I may be allowed to explain the reductions:

1, The Forest Inspector was to be temporarily employed in the bot. Garden,² until he could enter fully on his forest duties or any other work. Hence his horticultural Assistantship was not gazetted. I would respectfully recommend that the item of forest Inspector be transferred to the Lands Department.

2, The reduction of the vote for wages has been effected with the view of discharging³ one of the present employees, who against my recommendation remained in this establishment when by the transfer of the northern ground to the friendly societies his custodianship of that place had ceased.⁴ The item of £2480 may still seem large, but it includes the clerical expenditure of the Office, provides for collecting plants in unexplored portions of Australia, also for clearing and despatching consignments effecting supplies to public institutions, carrying on Laboratory work and Museum work, and provides for progressive improvements in the garden, domain and Gov. House Reserve. This item could not have been reduced so far already, had not the gratuitous labor of about 50 Industrial School Boys been obtained since May 1870. Nevertheless I frankly admit, that still further reductions could be effected by extreme measures:

α, if all the employees were discharged and reengagements were effected at reduced wages; but as most of the employees have been many years here and established family domesticities on the small income which they enjoyed, they seem to forget, that they were originally all engaged at weekly warning, and endeavoured to establish vested rights; from this cause the establishment is under heavier expenses then⁵ it otherwise would be, and also occasionally obedience, alacrity and circumspectedness become impaired.

β Reduction through an other extreme measure might be effected by extending the gardenwork on Saturdays only til noon, and rendering thus only payment for 5½ instead of six days in the week. This measure could however only apply to the outdoor work, not to the nurseries; hence the saving would not exceed £120 pro anno. The employees —, I need scarcely add —, would raise a great clamour against this proposition.

The storevote at £200 is really too small for all that is asked from the service of my department; it stood at £250.- .- in my original estimate; but being anxious to aid the Government in retrenchments, I will endeavour to carry the service on with the sum indicated.

The £100.- .- for publishing works is the ordinary subsidy of this Government for the 6th vol. of the Flora of Australia, published in London.⁶ Other colonial Governments of Australia support the work also.

As regards my own salary, I beg to say, that I have to defray out of it the greater expense of books, journals, instruments and even much of foreign agency and transit, besides the hospitalities of the department. I have the honor to be, Sir, your very obedient servant

Ferd. von Mueller, M.D.,

Direct. botan. Garden

The honorable the Chief Secretary.