THE COMMISSIONER SYSTEM.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 155, 30 June 1916, Page 2

THE COMMISSIONER SYSTEM.

IN PUBLIC SERVICE. Some remarks on the operation of commissioner control in the Public Service were made at a meeting of the Auckland branch of the Public Service Association on Wednesday night by the chairman, Mr. T. ■P. Gilfedder. He was convinced, said Mr. Gilfedder, that the commissioners were not so black as they had been painted. During the past year a great change had taken place in the exercise of control, and there was now a general tendency to meet the requirements of the rank and file, while the future seemed to promise even better relations between the heads and their subordinates. He believed that if the commissioner system became a failure, it would be largely attributable to the oJetinaey and unfairness of intermediate heads and those in charge of branch offices. Officers in the ranks must do ■their duty, but they were justified in condemning "pin-pricking," "reporting" and unnecessary censuring, which were harmful and pernicious. The commissioners had shown willingness to investigate ever)' ease of alleged injustice, and the value of the Appeal Board would be hard to over-estimate. The ideals of the system, as summed up by Hon. <J. W. Russell, were fair play to every Civil servant, absolute justice as regards promotion, reasonable pensions' and superannuation, and absolute and equal opportunity to rise to the top of the service. Mr Gilfedder concluded by urging all State officials, including the police, to join the Public Service Association, in order to gain the benefit of the weight which its executive b°ld Ministers and cormnieflionexs. I— - V