348 
SECRETARIAL PRACTICE 
The alphabetical register in book form is recommended for 
recording agreements, as affording a more permanent index than 
the card system. A book of this kind is never out of date, and 
provides under each letter, and in order of time, an entire 
survey of the agreements which have been entered into. 
Sufficient information will be given by a register with the 
following headings: No., Date of Agreement, Parties, 
Subject, Remarks. 
(6) TitLE DEEDS. Documents relating to the sale and 
puchase, etc., of property, or, more exactly, the deeds which 
embody such transactions, never become obsolete, and must 
be dealt with accordingly. They should always be stored in 
the strong room (if such be provided), or in a fireproof safe. 
An excellent practice is to file each parcel of deeds relating to 
any one purchase or sale separately. Stout expanding 
envelopes of a uniform size suitable for this purpose, and 
provided with a deep flap and tapes for tying, are manu- 
factured by various firms, and are really indispensable if these 
documents are so to be preserved as befits their importance. 
All the deeds comprised in one parcel may be usefully sum- 
marised on a type-written schedule (giving date, nature of 
and the parties to each deed) which should be affixed in a 
permanent manner to the inside of the deep flap of the 
envelope. 
On the front of the envelope should be an endorsement in 
bold characters, giving the number of the parcel, parish and 
name of the vendor or purchaser. This information is only 
needed in respect of the ‘principal’ deed as being the one of 
prime importance. 
Here again an alphabetical index in book form is to be 
preferred to the card index, and the following headings will 
meet all requirements: No., Date, Name of Vendor or Pur- 
chaser, Number of Deeds, Parish, Remarks. 
[t must be noted that the ‘principal’ deed only will appear 
in this index; all antecedent or subsidiary ones are included in 
the schedule recommended above. All the deeds in each 
parcel should bear an individual and a progressive number, 
thus: 280/1, 280/2, and so on; it will be observed that the 
index is furnished with a column which shows the number of 
deeds or documents in each parcel. 
(¢) REGISTRATION DEPARTMENT. The filing of all papers 
and documents connected with the work of this department 
calls for separate and different treatment, owing to its peculiar 
circumstances.