John Wilson Croker. Are sending a report from Mr. Payne, the first Chief Clerk in...

John Wilson Croker. Are sending a report from Mr. Payne, the first Chief Clerk in the Secretary's Department of the Navy Office, relating to his proposals for collecting the information needed to determine the correct rate of wages for workers in the yards and for their method of payment. Recommend that the proposals are adopted and that Mr. Payne should visit each yard to put them into effect. Recommend that Payne should oversee the general implementation of improvements to the management of timber and stores and suggest that Payne could undertake a general examination of the entire system of accounting for stores with a view to its simplification. Opine that he would need to be given a commission from government for the task since he would not otherwise obtain the cooperation of more senior yard officers. Although the members of the board are tasked with the responsibility for overseeing the administration of the yards, none has the time to undertake the proposed investigation.