THE CIVIL SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 77, 1 April 1913, Page 9

THE CIVIL SERVICE.

| COMMISSIONER CONTKOL. THE NEW REGULATIONS. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) 3 WELLINGTON, this day. With the advent of Commissioner control of the Civil Service, commencing today, the Governor-in-Council has approved a comprehensive revision of the Civil Service regulations. They are 2,301 in number, and apply generally to the ■Public Service with the exception of certain classes of officers, for whom special regulations will be issued presently. In addition to the regulations governing the conduct of officers, leave of absence, election of members of the Board of Appeal, and. procedure in connection therewith, travelling allowances, temporary employment and admission to aud promotion in the public service are dealt with at some length, and appear to cover every essential question which as likely to arise in connection with officers, it is impossible to refer to every

regulation') but the following points may < be noted: — SUGGESTION'S INVITED. ! Great stress is laid upon the submis- j sion of suggestions by officers for improvements in the method of working ] which will tend to increase efficiency or economy, in addition to this iiwita- , tion to officers, it is made the duty of permanent heals to encourage officers to submit such-suggestions. Permanent heads arc held responsible for the dis- . cipline, qfiiuiencj and economical administration of theit departments, and spe- , cial attention is drawn to the necessity for promoting efficiency and economy in ■the methods of working by the application of modern methods and otherwise 5n the number of nfficcrs employed, and in dealing with all Government property. Permanent heads ok expected to watch closely the volume of work performed, and to report to ths Commissioner any falling off 'therein, w-let-hcr temporary or otherwise. Heads oi Departments are also expected to keep specially in view the question of provSing understudies for each position, and to see that every •possible opportunity- is afforded to cadets and junior officen to gain a complete knowledge of the'departments in which they are employe! by frequent change of duties. a HOLIDAY AND LEAVE. Under the heading " Leavj of absence" the schedule has been impbved in favour of officers. At presentin officer requires to serve for fifteen Tears or upwards before receiving more ban a fortnight's leave in each year. Under the mew regulation, when an ifficer has served for ten years or up wads he will receive three weeks' leave d absence. Sick leave is dealt with at soiie length, and the period for whiii leave —lay be granted on full py, half pay, third pay, and without pay is clearly set out. Th minimum on full pay is three month -wheal over ten years' service. In the ase of retirement special leave is grantd for period varying from one to three months according to circun lstances.Oßi- , cers retiring,on.superannuation or-om-•pensatiOff'in'Tieu of superanhuationare

granted three months. Officers reti'mg on medical. certificate are granted lie ~ same period*-" dispensed wih, through no fault of their own, befte ?! reaching retiring age, are granted or>, ul two or three monthSi according to ther R Sength of service. Women retiring t Vl ibe married are granted one, two or threi —tonths, according to length of service. APPEALS. o The Board of Appeal regulations are F of considerable length. It is provided ' that the Commissioner shall at once give effect to the decision of the Board, and notify the appellant of the result of his appeal, but that where, in the opinion of the Commissioner, the decision of the Board of Appeal applies equally to any other officer, the Commissioner may extend to the last-named officer the same benefit. Officers appealing have to set out concisely the grounds in writing, a copy being forwarded to the chairman of the Board and to the Commissioner. If the latter considers it justifiable the appeal will be allowed, otherwise the Board will consider the matter, and call what evidence it considers necessary. It shall not be necessary to state the regulation for the appellant or the Commissioner to be present on consideration of the appeal. The question of meal allowance for officers working before or after hours is now placed upon a proper footing. ENTERING THE SERVICE. The engagement of temporary workmen or iempowry employees other than clerks to be done by engineers in charge of Hie works, superintendents or managers of Government hospitals or institutions, and other local officers deifincd. Admission to and promotion in the Public Service begins by including most of the regulations in force in connection with Civil Service examinations. It is. however, provided that candidates arc to have a wide choice as to the place 8:t which they are to be appointed. More importance is given to arithmetic •and drawing, with instruments than under the Civil Service examination regulations. Efficiency tests or examinations, ■referred to in sections 20 and 21 of the Act. aTe to he mainly in the class of work performed -in the department or branch of the department in which the officer is employed. Tn the case of promotion from cla?K VIII., a 'praet—l test in precis writing, letter writing, elementary 'bookkeeping, indexing and registration, preparation of statistical sumO—ries, making fair copies of rough and abbreviated notes and handwriting, is to be made. 'Special regulations are made exempting university graduates. barristers and solicitors, accountants and actuaries from examinations. ' PROMOTION BY EXAM. 'At present no officer m the general Civil Service 1 , can be promoted beyond £200 until he passes the Civil Service senior examination. Under the new regulations ah officer may reach a salary of —GO without passing the examination. This applies only to officers hereafter appointed and officers now in the service whose salary was £200 or less on the 31st March. Instead of confining examinations to the Civil Service examination the following are 'held to be an equivalent of the Civil -Service senior examination, namely, a junior or senior scholarship in the New Zealand University, a university degree, the accountants' examination, or any other examination which in the opinion of the Commissioner is equivalent to any of the foregoing. A double increment ia provided for officers who have passed the senior examination, or Jor any who passes the solicitor's or accountant's examination, etc. When a cadet is receiving £05 a yeaT, and is reported to be of conspicnons ability, 4ie unay be promoted by-two steps instead of one.

■SPEC—L INCREMENTS. j ■When au officer rea—es a salary of | _20, and there is no promotion offering 'for him, he may, after one year, be granted a special increment of £-10, and if he cannot be promoted for a further, two yearß he may be granted a further increimeiit of £15." Officers of the general division whose salaries do not exceed £180 per annum are granted a long service increment of £9 per annum on their service reaching fifteen years. When an officer temporarily performs higher duties for more than three months he is to receive payment in addition to salary at a rate equal to the difference between 'his salary and the minimum of the class or grade of the higher position, or £10 per annum, whichever is the higher. The professional division is divided as including actuaries, analysts, architects, ■bacteriologists, barristers, chemists, draughtsmen (if qualified as civil engineers, telegraph engineers, surveyors, or architects), engineers, land surveyons, medical praetrtionen>, solicitors, veterinarians, .and others who, subject to the approval of the Commission, are classified or admitted to the Public Sen-ice as such, lit is _uule the duty of permanent heads to provide for the inspection of each office under his control at least once a year. Kegulations for the purchase and issue of stores under section 34 of the Public Service Act have been prepared and are now undergoing final revision. A £10 penalty for breach of any of the regulations may be imposed at the Commissioner's d.i'sc.retion, deducted from

salary, and paid to the Superannuation Fund. Special strees is laid upon the necessity of Civil servants making all representations respecting their salary and working conditions through the head of their department, and no other person.