Melbourne,
11 May 1883.
T. R. Wilson Esqr,
Undersecretary &c
Sir.
In compliance with your letter of the 4th inst.1 I have the honor to submit annexed an estimate of the expenditure, which I would recommend to be rendered available during the next finance year for the branch of the public service, administrated by me. In accordance with your request I have now adhered also strictly to the schedule of 1882-1883, so far as my establishment is concerned, except that some provision is recommended for the location of the Sonderian collection,2 through the Department of public works, a copy of the letter to the honorable the Minister of that Department being annexed.3 A special item has also been placed by me on the estimates for covering the extra expenses arising in my establishment, to carry out the wish of the honorable the Chief Secretary, that contributions should also be made by me for the proper representation of Victoria at the Calcutta-Exhibition,4 for which subsidy I would also not have asked, it the resources and appliances of the botanic Garden had remained available to me. The only other difference in the new estimate from the last is merely verbal, the addition "Museum" to the entry of Clerk, and "out-door" to the entry of Assistant having been left out, as I find it practicably impossible to limit the work of these officers in the manner indicated.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
your obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller.
Estimate of Expenditure for the Establishment of the Governm. Botanist during the finance year 1883-1884.
| Gov. Botanist | £800 |
| Clerk (omit: Museum) | £250 |
| Assistant (omit: outdoor) | £200 |
| Museum material, Stationery and purchase of plants | £130 |
| Books, Instruments, bot Collections, Seeds, freights, travelling and incidental expenses, including wages for youths in office and museum (a slight alteration in the wording of this item has become requisite) | £330 |
| Collector of plants for a new edition of the Flora Australiensis and other works (some necessary addition to former wording) | £125 |
| Publication of illustrated works on Australian plants, including draftmans and lithographers work for Eucalyptus Atlas | £170 |
| Paper for lithograms | £75 |
| Special preparation of articles illustrative of Victorian vegetable resources for the Calcutta Exhibition | £140 |
|
Total |
£2220 |
Ferd. von Mueller,
Gov. Botanist.
Please cite as “FVM-83-05-11a,” 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