THE CIVIL SERVICE BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 172, 24 July 1890, Page 5

THE CIVIL SERVICE BILL.

A LONG-PROMISED MEASURE,

(by telegraph.—parliamentary

REPORTER.)

Wellington, this day. Fob several sessions pasb bhe Minisbry of bho day have promised to bring in a Bitf having for its object the organising and regulation of the Civil Service of New Zealand, but up to the present all promises in thab direction have been unfilled. At length, however, the much-talked-of and long-promised measure has been introduced by the Postmaster-General, and ib will shortly be circulated. Ministers do nob propose to proceed with the Bill this session, but wish to get it distributed throughout the country, and an expression of opinion on its merits obtained, so that it can ba passed into law when the new Parliamenb meebs. The provisions of the Civil Service Acb do not apply to the Ministers, Judges of Supreme Court, members or officers of Legislature, permanent audit officers, the Agent-General and his staff', the Government Insurance Department, native school teachers, manager* of water-races, inspectors of stock, the defence or police forces, or the Railway Department, postmasters not permanently and exclusively employed in the Civil Service, persons paid by fees or commission, those holding honorary or temporary office or working under contract, mechanics, artificers or persons employed solely upon manual labour, or any officer or class of officers whom the Governor in Council may exempts from the organisation of the serviced

The service is to be divided into four classes, which are to be called respectively, first division, the professional division, the clerical division, and the non-clerical division. The first division comprises the heads of departments; the professional division consists of all other officers than the above holding offices which require some skill, usually acquired only in some profession or other pursuit different from that required in clerical and non-clerical sections ; the clerical division includes all officers appointed thereto after an examination provided for in the Bill, and all officers now performing clerical: duties ; the non-clerical division consists of all officers not otherwise classified. The clerical division is to be divided into five classes. The fifth or lowest class will consist of juniors who, on entering the service, must be under twenty years of age. Annual increments of salaries are to be fixed by the Act ab all stages bebween that and tb& firsb or highesb class. The officers in bhe professional and non-clerical divisions are bo be classified, and paid in accordance with a fixed scale, with annual or obher incremenbs bo be determined by regulations and an may be provided in the Annual Appropriation Act. Increments of Balary are, however, only to be paid to the officer on the certificate of the head of his department as to his good conduct and diligence, bub bhe officer may appeal from bhe permanent head's decision to the Civil Service Board, whose decision shall only be subject to review by the Minister. Provision is made that before submibbing the estimates in any financial year the Governor may recommend to the House a ratiable reduction or increase of shares all round. Thereupon the maximum and minimum limits ol salary for each class is to be lowered or raised ab the rate suggested, with ft proportionate reduction or

increase of thie increment fixed by bhe Bill. Alterations t&hs made are to remain in force until another recommendation on the subject be :made by tho Governor. Any officer who, when the Act comes into force, is drawing a greater salary than the maximum of the class assigned to his work, is to be transferred to some other branch of the Department where he can be employed upon duties equivalent to the amounb of his salary. If he is uufib for such transference, his salary is to be reduced to the maximum of the class to whicli his work has been assigned, and he is to receive compensation for the reduction ab the rate of one-twelfth of such reduction for each year of service. The Civil Service Board is to consist of the permanen b heads of departments residing in Wellington, wibh bhe SolicitorGeneral as its firsb Chairman. The chief clerk in theColonialSecretary's Office is to bo Secrebary to th.s Board. As soon as the Act comes into force, and in January of each year thereafter,, the head of each department is to furnish tbe Board with particulars of officers under his control, and their salaries, duties, and length of service. So far as is practicable the Board is to personally inspect each department and examine each officer's work, and may take evidence from the permanent head of any officer of the Department. The special duties of the Board will be to recommend to the Governor whab departments shall be partly or wholly amalgamated with others, and the distribution of officers in such manner as may be thought mosb conducive to the public interest; after an examination of tho work to classify the officers and assign them to the several divisions they should fall under, besides indicating the number of officers requisite for the efficient performance of the work of each department, and whab officers shall be aesigned to a particular class of d a by ; torecommend what appointments, promotions and transfers should be made in January of each year. The Board is to publish a list of officers then employed in the service, which is to be presented to Parliament within ten days of the ensuiug session ; also to report to Governor every year as to the condition and efficiency of i:he service, making such suggestions for its improved working or for economy of administration as may appear desirable.

• THE COMPENSATION SYSTEM,

Any officer who may be dispensed wi _ in consequence of amalgamations, etc., is to rocoive compensation as follows :-_f he was in the service prior to the passing of the Civil Service Reform Act, 1886, such compensation as that Act entitles him to; if appointed subsequent to 1886 his compensation is to come oub of a fund formed by an annual deduction of 5 per cent, from all officers' salaries, which sum is to be invested by the Public Trustee at interest. On tho officer's discharge otherwise than for the commission of a crime tho amount to his credit iv the Public Trust Office is to be paid to him, or in case of death tho amounb is to be disposed of as may be directed by will or to become part of his estate if he dies intestate. If the dismissal is due to crime any defalcations are to be mado good out of the amount in the Trust Office, and the balanco be paid to the wife of the officer, or, if there be no wife, to h»s children. , ~

. VACANCIES,

When a vacancy occurs at the head of a department or in the professional division which it is expedient to fill, the Board is to present to the Governor tho names of not less than three of the senior officers, from whom the Governor is to make tho appointment. The vacancy caused by the promotion is to be filled in like manner. When vacancies occur in the clerical division the three senior officers in the next class below are to be eligible, and the permanent head is to make the choice. An officer promoted is to receive the minimum salary of the class to which he is raised.

As to the non-clerical division a similar course is to be pursued, but the Governor is to make the appointment, and vacancies aro only to bo filled if the Governor thinks ib expedient without detriment to the efficiency of the service.

No appointment is to be made from outside tho service to fill a vacancy unless the Boaid certifies thab there is no available officer possessing the necessary qualifications. Provisional appointments of persons possessing professional or technical skill, or of known ability, may, however, be made if it becomes necessary to secure the services of such persons, and in the decision in such cases a full statement of the reasons for making the appointment is to be submitted to Parliament ab the earliest moment, and the appointment is not to be confirmed by the Governor till the end of the session. Any persons who have left the service, apart from voluntary resignation or dismissal, to bo eligible for subsequent vacancies.

ENTRY INTO THE SERVICE,

Service in the clerical division is to commence with cadetship, the age for which is to be restricted from 16 to 20. Certificates of healbh, age, and moral character will be called for, and every candidate must have passed the junior examination. Cadets can only be advanced to the higher grades after passing the senior examination. A register is to be kept of the order of merit in which candidates have passed, and this is to decide the priority of appointments. Females will only receive appointments suitable to their sex. Cadets are to be put on probation for six months before their appointments are confirmed.

Matriculation at a university, or the obtaining of a degree or scholarship, will be equivalent to the passing of the senior examination. A register of such persons is to be kepb.in bbc order of application.

Thirty-five is the maximum age for appointment to the non • clerical division, and an educational standard is to be fixed by regulation and enforced by examinations. Persons who have seen naval or military service, or been in the Permanent Defence or Police Forces, are to be eligible withoub examination, oven though they may be over the prescribed age. An appointment to the non-clerical division is to be forwarded to anyone whose name stands first on the register for such class, br, if he decline, to the next.

GENERAL PROVISIONS,

Provision is made for the employment of temporary officers for a period not to exceed three months. A return of persons so employed is to be presented to the House every Bession, all officers who have already been two years in the service, or who have passed the Senior Civil Service examination without further examination.

DISCIPLINE,

Penalties in tbe way of reductions and dismissal, according to the nature of the offence, are provided for infractions of the regulations or for inefficiency. Fines for insubordination, negligence or carelessness are provided for by regulations to be enforced by the permanent head, bub there is to be a right of appeal to the Minister, whose decision is final.

Felony, bankruptcy, composition with creditors, or assignment of salary for the benefit of creditors, is to involve forfeiture of office; but the officer may be reinstated if he prove "that such embarrassment was nob occasioned by fraud, extravagance, or dishonourable conduct.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

Permanent heads may grant'leave of absence to the extent of four weeks in the year to officers of more than ten years' service, and — forbnighb in the year to those of less standing. In case of illness or obher pressing necessity, the may grant extended leave to the extent of six months.

Officers of more than ten years' con tinuous service may, be granted six months'

leave of absence on half salary or three months on full salary, at their own option, Officers of twenty years' continuous service may receive twelve months' leave on full salary. MISCELLANEOUS. The habitual use of intoxicating liquor to excess is to debar a person from appointment, promotion or retention in thab service. Private Secretaries to Ministers need nob be in the Civil Service.