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This series consists of 11 volumes of letter book correspondence outward of the Provincial Secretary, 1919-1924.

The series contains records pertaining to the care of indigents and destitute persons created by the Dept. of the Provincial Secretary between 1911 and 1925.

Files consist of applications for relief, supporting documents from police constables and government agents, case files, administrative reports, and general correspondence. Reports on unemployment in specific communities in British Columbia, ca. 1911-1918 are also included.

Records created prior to 1923 were filed numerically and constituted a separate records series within the Provincial Secretary's office. Records created after 1923 were kept alphabetically, by name of applicant. Regrettably, contemporary registers and indices for these records have not survived.

Although it was "the duty of every city and district municipality to make suitable provision for its poor" [Municipal Act, RSBC 1911, c.170 s.526], the Department of the Provincial Secretary was largely responsible for the care of indigents and other destitute people in British Columbia. In fact, prior to the creation of the Department of Health and Welfare in 1946, the Provincial Secretary's office was often the only source of support for deserted wives and children, indigent widows and elderly persons, disabled workers and others in need of public welfare.

The Provincial Secretary administered funds to such groups through charitable accounts, the Workmen's Compensation Board, the Provincial Board of Health, and other agencies. At the local level, relief payments were often distributed by Provincial Police constables or Government Agents.

This series consists of correspondence inward and outward, and interdepartmental memos of the Provincial Secretary, pertaining to provincial mental health care institutions, mothers' pensions, child welfare, and adoption laws from 1918-1926.

This series consists of a record of personnel showing position, grade, and salary in all branches of the Department of the Provincial Secretary.

This series consists of correspondence, memoranda and notes regarding salary adjustments in the Provincial Secretary's Department.

The series consists of Unemployment Relief Committee files kept by the Provincial Secretary from 1931 to 1933. The files contain records regarding the provision of direct relief for unemployed men and include: organization charts, financial information, circulars, copies of registration forms, correspondence between Provincial departments as well as intergovernmental correspondence between the Provincial and Federal or Municipal governments. There are also memoranda prepared for the Provincial Secretary and reports and requests for information from the Provincial Police, Government Agents, District Engineers and other groups.

The series consists of records created by the Deputy Provincial Secretary between 1914 and 1933 pertaining to the administration of funds for the "aid of the destitute, poor, and sick."

Between 1872 and 1942, an annual vote of funds was included in the estimates of the B.C. legislature. The fund, which was administered by the Office of the Provincial Secretary, originally contained $500. By 1935, this figure had risen to $110,000; but in the fund's final year of existence, 1943, the vote of funds had declined to $40,000.

The Indigent Fund, unlike the Mother's Pension, the Old Age Pension (1927), or the Veterans Assistance plans was not tied to an Act of Parliament, and thus relief was provided to people under a wide range of circumstances, and included many who failed to qualify for assistance under specific federal or provincial schemes. The fund was designed to meet the immediate and shortterm needs of rural B.C. residents (municipalities had their own funds) who through misfortune or bad planning had found themselves without "the necessities of life." The key to the fund, until the early 1930s, when the position of Superintendent of Welfare was created, was the Deputy Provincial Secretary, for it was often at his discretion that assistance was provided. He was aided in his duties by the various Government Agents, who were responsible for handling vouchers, disbursing cheques, and reporting to Victoria any new developments in individual cases. They, in turn, were assisted by Provincial Police constables who usually investigated each case and submitted a report.

The records consist of correspondence inward and outward from the Deputy Provincial Secretary's office; correspondence from Government Agents to the Deputy Provincial Secretary; Provincial Police reports on the condition of Indigents; correspondence from indigents or persons representing them to the Premier, Ministers, and the Deputy Provincial Secretary; and miscellaneous correspondence to and from various government departments and agencies such as Workman's Compensation Board, Department of Immigration, public hospitals, police departments etc.

The files are arranged alphabetically by the last name of the indigent. They are not, however, arranged alphabetically within each folder. There are two alphabetical series, as well as two sets of files titled "miscellaneous". All files have been preserved in their original order.

This series consists of a report of the Advisory Committee on Juvenile Delinquency, 1936.

This series consists of Provincial Secretary correspondence with municipalities, 1911-1937. Records include correspondence inward with copies of replies from cities, towns, villages, and municipalities. Files deal with a variety of topics, such as local by-laws, amendments to the Municipal Act, transfers of Crown lands, urban development and unemployment relief. Records are arranged alphabetically by relevant city or municipality.

For most of the period covered by these records, municipal affairs were the responsibility of the Municipal Branch of the Department of the Attorney General (1914-1933) and the Department of Municipal Affairs (1934). The Provincial Secretary's department, however, always served as conduit between provincial municipalities and various levels of government.

This series consists of report of the Advisory Committee on Labour Conditions in Hospitals; and Special Report of Advisory Committee on Labour Conditions in Hospitals concerning "Student Nurses" and "Mental Graduates", Provincial Mental Hospital.

The series consists of a photograph album created by the Dept. of the Provincial Secretary sometime between 1920 and 1940. The album contains 215 black and white prints of varying sizes showing the buildings, grounds and patients at the Public Hospital for the Insane at New Westminster, Essondale and Colony Farm. The photographs are captioned but not dated.

Several of the exterior shots of the buildings and grounds were taken by professional photographers and have been connected together to show panoramas. There are also exterior photos of farm activities and labour performed by patients. The majority of the photographs are of the patients themselves. These photographs illustrate various pathological types that were treated at the hospitals. They include men, women and children; shown as individuals and in groups.

This series consists of a manual containing memoranda, correspondence and forms pertaining to the administration of policy by officials in the Provincial Secretary's Department, 1940-1950.

The series consists of Application for Relief forms created by the Dept. of the Provincial Secretary between 1939 and 1941. Each form gives applicants' name, age, place of residence, marital status, financial status and number of dependents.

The forms, which are numbered from 600501 to 604500, were evidently a part of a larger registry. Unfortunately, other application forms from the registry have not survived. Contemporary registers and indexes to the application forms have not survived either.

Most of the forms in this series are from August-November 1939, although a few are dated as late as November 1941. The forms are arranged by community, with a very few discrepancies in the order. Application forms from the city of Vancouver are, for the most part, arranged alphabetically by the first initial of the applicants' surname.

An oath of allegiance was required from those applying for financial assistance from the provincial government. Oath of Allegiance forms from the years 1940-1942 are to be found in Box 7 of this collection. There is no discernible order to the Oath forms, although a number of them refer to the Application for Relief forms noted above.

Incomplete memorandum on the Department's Social Assistance Branch, prepared by E.W. Griffith, Assistant Deputy Provincial Secretary.

The series consists of ballots (blank and marked) and general instructions on voting procedures, along with a list of returning officers for the 1945 general election.

This series consists of a register of district registrars of voters, showing dates of revisions of voters' lists and number of voters on lists.

This series consists of eight pages of correspondence regarding subjects arising from the convention held at Harrison Hot Springs, B.C., September 23, 24 and 25, 1946 to be submitted to the Hon. the Premier and the Cabinet by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

This series consists of a report of institutions showing number of male and female patients at the end of each month.

This series contains Hospital Programmes Administration files covering the period 1911-1946. Records include correspondence and reports relating to the operations of community hospitals throughout the province. Includes correspondence pertaining to resident physicians, local hospital boards, and the administration of the Hospital Act.

This series consists of the personal files of the Deputy Provincial Secretary, Paschal de Noe Walker, 1930-1946. Records deal with health and welfare facilities (hospitals, industrial schools, etc.), social services, elections, libraries, museums and a variety of other programmes and services administered by the Provincial Secretary's department.

This series consists of index cards to Provincial Secretary correspondence arranged by subject and by name of correspondent.

This series consists of forms used and procedures followed in the execution of various statutes administered by the Provincial Secretary. Records also include minutes of meetings, correspondence, reports, and newsletters of the B.C. Provincial Government Employees Association, 1945-1947.

This series consists of two pages of suggestions regarding proposals made by the British Columbia Government Employees' Association.

This series consists of a brief of the Mining Association of British Columbia to the premier and cabinet.

This series consists of five pages of resolutions respecting laws concerning married women presented by the Provincial Council of Women, 1947.

This series consists of Provincial secretary correspondence, 1947. Records consist of subject files arranged alphabetically by file title. Includes subject index on cards.

This series consists of executive records of the Provincial Secretary, covering a wide variety of topics. The Provincial Secretary's department was responsible for a broad range of legislation and activities - including the civil service, provincial elections and (until 1946) health and welfare services. These records comprise part of the former Provincial Secretary's Central Registry. This registry consisted of general correspondence, policy directives, branch reports, inter-departmental memoranda, circulars, grant applications, and a host of miscellaneous documents.

The finding aid consists of two parts. Part I is a box/file list showing the original order and arrangement of the records. The records fall into six categories or subseries:

A. General correspondence: correspondence inward (with replies), reports, circulars, etc.
B. Appointments: correspondence, commissions, oaths of allegiance of coroners, magistrates, and other appointed officials.
C. Resident Physicians: correspondence re: grants paid to physicians in isolated communities
D. Grants: correspondence and reports pertaining to grants paid to various community groups and charitable organizations, service clubs, etc.
E. Workmen's Compensation Board: circulars, etc.
F. Contemporary card indexes: alphabetical subject index cards. Part II: Subject Index

Part II of this finding aid consists of a subject index compiled by the Provincial Archives of BC. The index indicates the main topics or subject areas - e.g. Provincial Infirmary, Elections, Industrial Schools, etc. which are documented in GR-0496. The index does not claim to be comprehensive or exhaustive, but it should help researchers to locate documents which concern particular institutions or activities.

This series consists of the records of John B.B. Shaw, Executive Assistant to the Provincial Secretary, 1946-1948.

This series consists of incomplete correspondence files from the Department of the Provincial Secretary, 1942-1949. File subjects include miscellaneous, legislation, elections, government progress, and by-elections held in Vancouver, Rossland-Trail, South Okanagan, Cariboo and Saanich.

The series consists of correspondence of the Superintendent of Neglected Children, the Deputy Superintendent of Neglected Children and the Superintendent of Welfare relating to Doukhobor children. The files contain correspondence, lists of children, case files for some of the children and a 1950 thesis. The bulk of the material relates to the period 1929 1935.