THE CIVIL SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1276, 3 November 1911, Page 6

THE CIVIL SERVICE

PERMANENT,HANDS DISSATISFIED. "FIVE-YEAR" MEN. SERIOUS ANOMALIES ALLEGED. .

(By Telegraph.—Spccia! Correspondent.) Christchurch, November 2. A brief report in to-day's issue of t'he "Press" of tho meeting of Civil Servants at which several appointments and promotions wero considered grossly unfair, touched only tho fringe of an important subject and one that has been tho cause of considerable discontent in the service. Tho following particulars, which aro vouched for by one who has first-hand information, will help to- give an insight into the causes of the unrest amongst tho olficers of tho different Government Departments. The outstanding grievance is in respect to what' aro known as "the five-year men." These men were originally taken on as temporary clerks, but under the Public Service Classification Act they were deemed to be permanently appointed if:

(1) Employed in any Department on November 25, 1907, and had been continually employed in one or more Departments; or (2), if he was employed in any Department on November 25, 1907, and subsequently served for fivo years.

Injustice to Permanent Officers. Tho iniustico done to other members of tho Public Servico by tho provisions referred to above will bo apparent when It is stated that the manner iu which appointments are made to the service, as people generally understand the method of making appointments to tho service, is provided ior in the Civil Service Act, which declares in effect that every person appointed to the Civil Service shall only enter such service as a cadet after passing a competitive examination and after having been proved to be physically fit, the Act just referred to prevents a cadet from receiving more than ,£2tX) per annnm_ unless ho has passed the senior Civil Service examination, or the examination prescribed. The last-mentioned examination was apparently intended to be an examination in the special Departmental work that the cadet would bo expected to do. Despite the fact that-tho Act was passed 21 years ago "the examination prescribed" has never been prescribed. The position then is that "five-year" men can receive over .£2OO per annum desldte the fact that they have not passed either the junior or t'he senior Civil Service examinations. Indeed, they may not have passed any examination except the Sixth Standard in the public schools.

"Temporaries" and Superannuation. Further, the "five-year" men under the Pub.ic Service Classification and Superannuation Act have the right to join the Superannuation i'und as "temporaries" are never medically examined, it is possible that a man taken on may be suffering irom consumption or some disease and six montos aiterwards he may die or break down and come upon the Superannuation Fund. Vet another peculiarity in connection with "temporaries," is that whilst it is provided that no one is to be temporarily employed for: a longer period than six months, and is not to oo again employed until six months has elapsed, yet a sub-section of the samo section gives tno Governor-in-Council (i.e. Ministeis) power to wj-employ, it reasonable causc be shown.

ihe Ministerial explanation of the provisions whtreunder "temporaries" become "permanents" without the necessity of undergoing examinations, was the humane provision being mado for certain men who were in a bad position. Yet, in cases, theso men who were in "a bad position" had their salaries increased from Gd. per day to t C2OO per annum, and this increase was made over the heads' of the "permanents" with longer services, who secured their position as the result of passing competitive examinations. Under this state of affairs it is not astonishing to bo told that in some cases ihe othcer superior in grade to "temporaries" transformed thus" into "permaneiits" was in receipt of a lower salary than some under him. Some concrete instances of how "promotion" is attained in the service may bo cited.

Court Bailiffs. Throughout tho public servico it is generally known how bailiffs become clerks of court, but the public generally are probably not acquainted with tho process in a small town, in one district a man was appointed bailiff. In six months ho was put on tho staff of tho Magistrate's Court in a larger town. In a very tew years after being transferred from one town to another he became clerk of the court at a salary of over i! 200 per annum. Sometimes the bailiffs who are, it is alleged, promoted in this way, cannot do the worK expected from them as clerks of court. All they can do is to sign cheques, and the younger ones under them do all the work. Cases are alleged of junior clerks objecting to promotions of this character, and it is a notorious fact in the service that some junior clerks who objected to an appointment of the character described received a Departmental reply to the effect that the reason why cadets were not sent to that district was that the Department did not care to expose tliem to the temptation of the hotels.

A "Typewriter Expert." The Labour Department affords further cases in point, it is known that some labour leauers are lound positions in this Department sooner or later. Une case that 18 said to have provided merriment lor tne officers of the Civil Service throughout tho Dominion was tnat ot a man wno was appointed as a "typewriting expert," but wno did not learn how to manipulate the typewriter until alter he was appointed, it is alleged that one of tne "temporaries" has been maue a "permanent" at a salary ot over .I'liOO per annum, whilst a young lellow who entered tne servico alter passing the Junior Civil Service examination is, aiter live years at fairly technical work, receiving less than .fcilK) per annum.