Change in the WPHC filing system
1230359 19/III/8 Jardine's Report
6.November.1941
Criticism: The Secretary does things that should normally
be done by "the Assistant Secretary or a
junior assistant." "In a number of cases
files are marked 'bring up' for review at a
later date as he has not the time to
ascertain whether action on the file is finally
complete."
"The registration system is of an obsolete
pattern and has expanded from what is known
as the 'unit paper'system. It operates on an
annual series of numbers and demands a much
greater staff than the present if it is to
function efficiently. The working of the system
has been slowed down as the clerks have been
unable to maintain a running subject index for
the years 1936 onwards. Outward correspondence
is bound, annually, in volumes relating to the
various territories; each volume is indexed by
the typist ...."
"I recommend that the present system of registration
be abolished and that a subject file system be
instituted in its place."
Tofiga was working 20 hours a week overtime.
Filing system:
Daily record: recorded under date of origin.
File Register: The register is arranged in accordance
with the subject classification. Under
52 medical, for example, the first medical file
opened will bear the number F.52/1, the next
F.52/2 and so on. The present method of titling
a file under the "Keyword" principle should
be followed.
Subsidiary questions arising from the mail file
are registered as sub-files F.52/16/1, 52/16/2
etc.
Card files are to be made up. Each Card is
to contain the exact subject heading and be
filed alphabetically, not numerically.
1229377 F.74/5
Vaskess replies to Jardine that there has been too much
turnover in the office and no one officer has been able to
master the filing system.
1229377 F.74/5/1 High Commission Office Filing System:--
Reorganization of.
From now on, files will be organized in "book file"
order--first entry to last, from top to bottom, and
not in the old style, where notes were on one side
and inclusions on the other, with most recent
inclusions on top and earliest on the bottom.
"The last officer using the file will be responsible
for writing a direction for future action, such
as B.U. ["bring up"] or put away. The term "put
away" or the letters "P.A." will be used in future
instead of "file" when all action on a paper is
complete." 12 May 1944 / 14 January 1945
1227573 WPHC 27/ XXVI / 46 Correspondence 2 Jan 1942 to 24 July
OK, the new filing system is in place. On p. 8, Jan 10, 1942, the letter is categorized as P.F. 34. The next entry like it is on p. 15, 14 January 1942: S.F.9/6. The references to files vary like that through the whole volume.