S EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT

Records Engineering, Incorporated. Prior to his employment at the Hall of
Records, Mr. Caton had spent several months as a member of the survey
staff of Records Engineering, Incorporated.

The supervisory position in the Microfilm Division was filled by Beryl E.
Gardner who, as a Junior Archivist, had cared for the microfilm collection
of the Hall of Records and who had, for two years, checked the film of the
county deeds, mortgages and releases of mortgages, prepared for the Com-
missioner of the Land Office by a private contractor. Miss Gardner was pro-
moted to Senior Archivist July 1, 1952. Her assistants were Charles F. Wade
who was employed July 1, 1952, and resigned June 30, 1953, and Alvin £.
Moore who was appointed July 16, 1952.

To fill the position of Junior Archivist, vacated by Miss Gardner, the
Archivist, with the approval of the Hall of Records Commission, appointed
Raymond B. Clark, Jr. In the course of the year, one other staff change oc-
curred: Mrs. Gary T. Peebles, who had been appointed Stenographer, Hall of
Records on July 1, 1950, resigned on March 27, 1953, and was replaced by
Mrs. Rose M. DiStefano. Mrs. Peebles' work at the Hall of Records was of
the very highest quality. She left to become secretary to Dr. Stringfellow
Barr, a former President of St. John's College and a member of the Hall of
Records Commission for many years. Staff changes during the year were,
therefore, one promotion, two replacements for employees who had resigned,
and three appointments to fill newly-created positions.

The maintenance staff is employed, paid and supervised by the Superin-
tendent of Public Buildings and Grounds. In recent years a system of rota-
tion has been used in assigning maintenance employees to the various State
buildings. However, Mr. Tucker has remained at the Hall of Records and
this has proved to be a boon to us because of his skill in practical mechanics
and his willingness to exercise this skill for our benefit.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

During fiscal year 1953, the Hall of Records assumed the task of
supplying the Land Office with negative microfilm copies of all the Deeds,
Mortgages and Releases of Mortgages recorded in the county clerks' offices
in the preceding year. We also engaged ourselves to supply a positive copy
of current recordings of deeds to the State Tax Commission for tax map