COMPULSORY RETIREMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 36, 12 February 1924, Page 8

COMPULSORY RETIREMENT.

-■-'■■_»l. .1 — IN INTERESTS OF YOUTH. (From Our Special Correspondent > j WELLINGTON, Monday. The "Evening Post" states very fairly the general opinion here in regard to compulsory retirement from the Railway Department after forty years of service. "Retrenchment after forty years," it says, "may result in the loss of men with years of useful work yet before them, but it is equally certain that if the. younger officers are kept back : too long their services also will be lost. r There are many young men in private 1 business life now who commenced their 1 careers in the Civil Service, and left that 5 service because outside occupations ' offered speedier advancement. Neecs- ' sarily promotion within the Civil Ser- ' vice must be slower than in private busi--1 ness, because the tenure of office is gener--1 ally more secure. The services of the brightest youths of the community can ' be secured and retained only by mea- _ sures which give reasonable prospects of promotion. These measures can be taken " without inflicting hardship on the older 1 officers or loss upon the country. In the '■ Civil Service there is room for both >' vigour and experience, for youth as well ' as maturity." The main objection to ' the rule is the provision for exceptions, 1 which will be operated by the Minister, ' upon the advice of the General Manager, ■ and may sometimes appear haish and ! unreasonable. 1