RETIREMENT ORDER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 88, 15 April 1931, Page 8

RETIREMENT ORDER.

INSTRUCTION NOT GENERAL. , j PREVENTION OP HARDSHIP. PRIME MINISTER EXPLAINS. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Elaborating on a statement made yesterday by the Public Service Commissioner, the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. G. W. Forbes, stated to-night that no general instruction had been issued that all officers with 35 years' service and over were to be retired, nor was it intended to do so. Mr. Forbes added that, in certain Departments, owing to the present financial conditions, the work had fallen off, and had rendered possible the retirement of a number of officers. What had been done was to arrange for the retirement of those officers eligible to receive superannuation privileges in preference to officers who, if retired, would not be so entitled. It would be only false economy to letiie all officers eligible for the pension. lo do so would, in many cases, increase rather than decrease the expenditure for the current year on account of the necessary transfer, removal, and other incidental expenses, and would impose additional burdens on the superannuation funds. It would also be impracticable, in manv cases, Mr. Forbes said, as it would lead'to loss of efficiency. The Government was fully sei:ied '"ith the necessity for reducing Department; 1 ' expenditure, and, in so far as the staffing was concerned the principles which had been followed were, as far as practicable, based on the desire to inflict as little personal hardship as possible. New ents to staffs were reduced to an absolute minimum, the Prime Minister added, and, as far as practicable, the Departments were carrying on without replacements in eases where officers have resigned. The number of permanent officers affected up to the present time was approximately 500, and the matter was the subject of a continuous review