§ MR. W. C. CARTWRIGHTasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether any decision has yet been come to in regard to the Regulation of Salaries of Officers in the British Museum consequent on the scheme which, according to his statement on a former occasion, was to have been transmitted by the Treasury to the Trustees of the Museum on June 4th; and, in the event of no definite decision having as yet been arrived at, whether he can make any explanatory statement as to the position in which the matter now rests?
§ MR. W. H. SMITHSir, no decision has as yet been arrived at; I will, however, state exactly the position in which the matter now stands. In February last, the Treasury forwarded to the Trustees the outlines of a scheme based upon the 2nd of the Reports made by the Playfair Committee of Inquiry. In April the Trustees replied, proposing certain modifications of detail, to most of which on the 4th of June the Treasury assented, so far as they were consistent with the principles of the Playfair Report, but suggesting alterations in the relative numbers of some of the classes, whereby the serious increase of expense occasioned by the improved scale of salaries might be compensated. On the 20th instant the Trustees replied, omitting to notice the assurance required for an alteration of numbers in the several classes, but adhering to their former proposal in particulars quite inconsistent with the scheme originally submitted to them, and with the Playfair Report. The Treasury naturally hesitates to add £7,000 per annum to a charge for salaries already exceeding £56,000 per annum, without obtaining economies which they believe, and which it has been partially admitted, might be effected by the consolidation of departments, and some reduction in the numbers of the more highly-paid classes without any sacrifice of efficiency or of personal interests. The scheme of the Trustees contains not only the extra or duty pay of the Playfair scheme, but also a higher commencing salary and a higher maximum salary than is provided in that scheme or than the Treasury believe to be necessary. There is not the slightest objection to produce the Correspondence which has passed.