File 3939/1926 Pt 1 'PUBLICATIONS: REVISION OF AITCHISON'S TREATIES' [‎65r] (123/206)

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31. Continuance for a period of one year of the employment of the establish
ment engaged on the Revision of Aitchison’s Treaties, Engagements and Sanads
and addition of one typist to that establishment. —It was stated that at their meet
ing held on the 12th August 1926, the Standing Finance Committee had approv
ed of the proposal of the Foreign and Political Department for the entertainment
of a special establishment to revise Aitchison’s “ Treaties, Engagements and
Sanads.” The year for which the establishment was sanctioned would expire
on the 17th, October 1927. It would however not be possible to complete the
work by that date. Great difficulty was being experienced in getting on with
the work owing to the time required by Local Administrations over the prepara
tion of their narratives. The Secretary of State had moreover asked to see the
proofs of sections of the work dealing with Foreign countries, e.g., Afghanistan,
Eastern Turkistan, Persia and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Arabia, Aden, etc. This
necessarily took considerable time, and the delay on this account had not been
anticipated. When the matter was last referred to the Standing Finance Com
mittee, sufficient weight was not given to the fact that the period of 1905-26,
covered by the present revision, embraced the years of the W ar and thus
involved in the revision of certain sections, such as Afghanistan, Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. -
Iraq, Nejd (a new addition) Persia and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , an examination of
many war time agreements and engagements, some of which would require to
receive the special orders of His Majesty’s Government as to their inclusion or
otherwise in the work ; while in the case of several of the other narratives such
as those of the North-West Frontier Region of British India bordering Afghanistan. Province and Baluchistan the material to be
inserted had been considerably increased by the events which took place during
the War. It would be readily understood that it had been necessary to subject
the narratives to the most careful examination in view of the increased national
self-consciousness of many of the States concerned and the delicacy of
the issues which arose in the W ar and post-war periods. So far the number o
narratives received from Local Governments and Agencies had not been large
and the existing staff had been able to carry on but the work was increasing fast
as new narratives were coming in rapidly and it was essential that they shou
have the assistance of a typist to do the ordinary typing of letters, notes and
re-typing of amended narratives. It was accordingly proposed to continue t le
existing temporary staff, with the addition of a typist on Rs. 75 per mensem,
for a further period of one year from the 18th October 1927. The o mwing
was the staff in question, together with an estimate of the cost.
Officer on Special Duty * ■^ s *
(Non-voted expenditure)
One Assistant
One Clerk
One typist
One peon A low-ranking infantryman, orderly or assistant (South Asian context).
or per annum . . . •
Contingencies and Miscellaneous per annum
Total
Non-Voted .
Voted
2,250 4-£30
450
200 "
75
• 14 . •■ :
’L' k
2,989+Rs. 400 (: ,
35,868+4,800
1,000
36,868
31,800
5,068
The establishment would as tf+LTn't monthTofthe 1 current
The extra expenditure >>+ved du^, the sa ° ctione d allotment of the
financial year would be met, p ’ , . additional grant would be
Foreign and Poht.ca Department, failing Ais an 1928 . 29
applied for later in the y j be ided for in the usual manner in
i.e., up to the 16th Uctob ® 1 The Commi ttee agreed ; but expressed the