LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

October 1, 1947.
To THE HONORABLE

HALL OF RECORDS COMMISSION,
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

Gentlemen:

In my report to you at the end of the last fiscal year I pointed
out that in my opinion the Hall of Records had reached a point
of maximum productivity and that it was unlikely that the
record for the fiscal year 1946 would ever be exceeded. This
prediction has been pretty well borne out. There was some
increase in the amount of repair work done, because for the
first time in several years there were two persons employed at
that work for the entire year. There were more replies to postal
inquiries because the revival of graduate work in the universi-
ties, the publication of encyclopedias, guide books and similar
works, which had ceased for the duration of the war, began
again. On the other hand, you will note a slight drop in the num-
•ber of items used at the Hall of Records, in the number of search-
ers, and in the quantity of photostatic reproduction.

The difficulty which we had experienced during the previ-
ous year in maintaining a full staff continued during the present
one. On September 1, 1946, the State belatedly took cognizance
of the fact that every agency was undermanned, and a small
general increase in salaries was granted. However, since the
wartime bonus was abolished at the same time, the net increase
in take-home pay was trivial and did not stem the drift of white-
collar workers to agencies of the Federal Government in Anna-
polis and to private business. However, on June 1, 1947, a real
increase was granted to all the members of the Hall of Records
staff, with the exception of the Archivist and the Secretary, for
whom none had been asked. In order to show the difference
between the salary scale now in effect and that which prevailed
prior to June 1, 1947, I am printing in this report at the end of
the "Financial Statement" the detailed budget for the fiscal year
1948. The Hall of Records is especially indebted to the Chair-
man of the Hall of Records Commission, who endorsed the new