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'File 1/50 Office Routine' [‎15r] (29/206)

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The record is made up of 1 file (103 folios). It was created in 31 Jan 1945-27 Nov 1950. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

Transcription

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IJiat the encoding is clone carefully ? and the groups
written out clearly in "block capitals.
The correct number of copies are taken and that all
the carbon Impressions are clear.
That the copies are stamped with the office seal and
signed.
Type out accurately and neatly the tclegrar. after issue.
Similarly when decoding telegrams
(i)' Check the number and date of telegram.
(ii) Work out all the mutilations.
(iii) Check "before filing the papers that all telegrams
received during the day have "been decoded and
typed and passed on to the officer concerned.
40. r&SPATCK CLERK .
This is also a very responsible post, as a trivial
mistake in this section may have very serious repercussions.
First of all the Despatcher mus t make certain that the method
proposed for sending letters to a destination is the correct
one. He must also see
That the letter hears a number and date.
That it is signed by a competent authority.
That all the enclosures have been attached.
Before closing a cover, check all the contents
once again with the Way Bill.
Check that the name and address are correctly shown
on the outer cover and that it is properly sealed
and gummed. Demi-official letters should be placed
in separate covers addressed by name to the
officers concerned; these are then put in another
cover, along with the other mails.
He must keep with him a sufficient stock of envelopes
and bags of different sizes, keep ready addressed
labels and envelopes under lock an d key so that the
mails can be closed with the minimum delay. All
time-saving devices are necessary in a place like
Bushire where steamers come without any warning and
mails are required at very short notice.
(vii) When closing bags or covers, the contents should be
placed in the order in which they are entered in
the Way Bill, and whenever possible, they must be
. given a ntmber in pencil, written on the top.
This will facilitate quick checking.
(viii) The Despatch Clerk has to deliver mails at and collect
safe-hand mails from steamers. Before taking
delivery he must make sure that the seal and outer
coverings of the letter, parcel -or bag have not
been tampered with. These mail bags are frequently
of a highly confidential and secret nature and he
must never part with them even for a second and he
must on no account give them to a third party. He
must obtain a receipt from the Captain of the vessel,
for all the bags and covers entrusted to him for
safe delivery. When bringing mails fron^ the
/steamer
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
(viii)
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)

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Content

The file relates to office procedure, and changes to office procedure following transfer of supervisory responsibility to the Foreign Office.

The papers include a set of notes entitled 'Office Routine', compiled by the officiating Head Clerk of the British Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , Bushire, which give guidance on the treatment of all forms of correspondence, registration, filing, referencing, the administrative structure of the Bushire office, mails and telegrams, records, noting and drafting, typing section, forms of letters and memoranda, duties of the Telegram Clerk, and duties of the Despatch clerk, with covering letter suggesting that the notes should be circulated among staff at the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , Bahrain, January 1945.

The file also contains papers relating to specimen forms and letters, April 1948; papers concerning the replacement by the Foreign Office of certain obsolete types of correspondence, September 1948; papers concerning terms to be used in establishing telegraphic priorities, May to June 1949; letter to the Foreign Office concerning the administrative workload of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , Bahrain, August 1949; papers concerning Foreign Office instructions on the use of abbreviations in official documents, including telegrams, August 1949; correspondence from the British Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , Sharjah on how to address certain Foreign Office departments, and the reorganisation of the Sharjah Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. 's filing system, October and November 1949; papers concerning regulations for the sending of telegrams, December 1949 to April 1950; correspondence from Cable and Wireless Limited, giving regulations and rates for telegrams, June to December 1950; correspondence concerning Foreign Office instructions laying down official spellings for Kuwait and Bahrain, and the use by the British Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , Bahrain of the Hunterian system for the transliteration of Arabic words and names, with the exception of Muscat and Oman, June to August 1950; and correspondence concerning the telegraphic address of the British Agent, Gwadur [Gwadar], November 1950.

Extent and format
1 file (103 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. Circled serial numbers (red for received correspondence; blue/black for issued correspondence) refer to entries in the notes at the rear of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation system in use commences at 1 on the front cover, and continues through to 103 on the back cover. The sequence is written in pencil, enclosed in a circle, and appears in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. page of each folio.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'File 1/50 Office Routine' [‎15r] (29/206), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/1046, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100026334948.0x00001e> [accessed 18 June 2026]

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