PRELIMINARY NOTE OF THE SUBJECTS ON WHICH INFORMATION IS DESIRED
1. Historical. A short account of the process by which the Press came to acquire its present form, constitution, and status within the University.
2. The Present status of the Press. Its position as a University Department which carries on a trading and tax-paying business; the significance of this status for both the University and the Press.
3. The Delegacy.
(i) Constitution, functions, and powers of the Delegacy.
(ii) System of appointment of Delegates and its effectiveness from the point of view of the interests of (a) the University, and (b) the trading business.
(iii) Organization and methods of work of the direction of the business.
(iv) The Finance Committee of the Delegates and its role as an instrument of financial control of the business.
4. The Press.
(i) Its structure in relation to the Delegates.
(ii) The general structure of the business.
(iii) The function, organization, and control of the several departments and branches of the Press, namely of (a) the Clarendon Press Publishing Department; (b) the London Business; (c) the Printing Works; (d) the Wolvercote Mill; (e) the New York Business; and (f) the other overseas branches.
5. The functions of the Press in relation to the University. University publications, University printing, and any other undertakings and activities of the Press for the University.
6. The functions of the Press as a publisher.
(i) The policy and practice of the Delegates concerning (a) the publication of learned works, (b) assistance to research, and (c) publication of textbooks.
(ii) The special emphasis, if any, given to the publication of the works of members of the University; policy with respect to the designation of books as 'Oxford books'.
(iii) General publishing policies of the Press, including its overseas branches.
(iv) Approval of manuscripts and projects; control by the Delegates of such approval.
(v) Production and the relation for this purpose between the Mill, Printing Works, and Publishing Departments.
(vi) Sales policies with respect to profitable and unprofitable books and journals.
(vii) Exports.
7. System of finance.
(i) Procedures for making the Finance Committee's control of the business effective.
(ii) Resources of the Press as a group (assets, income, profits, borrowings, etc.).
(iii) Use of resources (investment in the business, general investment, allocation of surpluses, etc.).
(iv) Finance of departments and branches.
(v) Presentation and auditing of accounts.
(vi) Taxation.
(vii) Method of showing in the accounts any financial contributions to the University in cash or in kind.
8. The financial record of the Press since 1946. A general survey together with copies of the annual accounts; amount of reinvestment and growth of capital; profitability of the group in relation to capital employed; profitability of the several departments and branches; approximate amount of annual contribution to the University in cash or in kind.
9. Staff.
(i) Appointment of the Secretary and senior officers, and the chain of command.
(ii) Appointment of other staff.
(iii) Salary scales and terms of service; their relation to those of (a) holders of University posts at Oxford, and (b) holders of comparable posts in the Cambridge Press and in other publishing businesses.
(iv) Recruitment of staff from the University and from business; loss of staff to other publishing businesses; any special staffing problems.
(v) Trade Unions.
10. Future policy. Policy of the Delegates regarding the development of the business and their views as to the relationship of the Press to the University in the future.
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