330 
ROYAL GARDENS, KEW, TO COLONIAL OFFICE. 
Royal Gardens, K 
March 25th, 1897. 
SIR, 
IN the memorandum, approved by the Secretary of State, 
transmitted in Mr. Bramston's letter of September 25, 1893, the 
conditions of employment of the Curators of the s everal Botanic 
Stations in the West African colonies are laid dow | 
. Number 4 of these Duci me these officers bali have the 
benefit of the fuse Reg ons as regards, amongst other 
things, leave. They a xp» cima entitled to six months' leave of 
absence on full pay after twelve months’ consecutive service in 
he Gold Coast Colony and Lagos, and after fifteen in Sierra 
Leone and the Gambia. 
3. While I am satisfied that this privilege is essential to the 
preservation of health necessary for the efficient performance of 
their duties, I am doubtful whether it is altogether satisfactory to 
treat such prolonged leave exclusively as holiday. No doubt men, 
animated with some zeal for their duties, will devote a portion at 
least of their leave in this country to work which would increase 
a — cy. But they are at present under no obligation to 
do s to me, therefore, a matter well worth the 
consideration of the Secretary of State whether in this particular 
me modification of the general regulation should n 
vnde, 
4. I would suggest that each Curator on his return to England 
months of his leave to the study of such subjects, whether 
commercial or horticultural, as the Director may indicate to him, 
and that, further, the receipt of his pay for that period shall be 
contingent on a certificate from the Director that he has employed 
himself for the time specified in a satisfactory manner. 
Ia 
m, etc., 
(Signed) W. T. THISELTON-DYER. 
Edward Wingfield, Esq., C.B., 
Colonial Office 
Dewar Street, S.W. 
COLONIAL OFFICE TO ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
Downing Street, 
13th April, 1897. 
SIR, 
I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Miia berini to inform you, 
in reply to yonr letter of the 25th of March, that he entirely 
agrees with you e thinking it desirable that diia Curators of 
Boulton Station in the West African Colonies should be 
required to devo té a portion of their leave of absence to work 
which would increase their efficiency 
2. It has always been he ld by du Secretary of State that the 
leave which is granted to Europeans in the service of the West 
A n Colonies is not to be treated as an ordinary holiday, and 
that thoe that receive it may be called upon to undertake any 
WO) oed go through any course of instruction that the Government 
