PUBLIC SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 14, 17 July 1923, Page 7

PUBLIC SERVICE

REVIEWED BY MR. MASSES

OPENING OF, CONFERENCE

PRIME MINISTEB ON POINTS OF,

INTEREST.

The annual conference of the Public Service Association opened in the •Ac> countants' Chambers to-day. The president, Mr. B. Sinel, occupied the chair. :

Following are the'delegates'attending the conference:—Messrs. C. M. Hill and J. Jackson (vice-presidents), L. Cooper; (North Auckland), H. W. C. Mackintosh (Auckland), -H. E." Jack"a (Waikato),-C. ; Chapman (South Auckland), R, Thomas (Hawkes Bay), F. T. Yenning (Gisborne)', D-W. O'Neil (Taranaki), G. W. F Johns (Wanganui), D. Morrison (Palmerston/ North), A. Burgess and G. Ward (Wellington), J, T. Craig (Mariborough), Q. : E- Whitmore (Nelson), J. M?lndoe (West Coast), J. M'Guiness (Canterbury), J, F. Arnold (South Canterbury), T. Ford (Otago),T. Faid (Southland). ".; : The conference was opened by the Prime Minister (Mr. Massey) in an ad- | dress which covered the existing situation of the Dominion with particular reference to the Pubic Service.- •' :'■ In introducing the Prime Minister, the president made sympathetic reference to the great loss sustained by the. death of Sir William Fraser, to whom Mr. Massey m his remarks paid a warm and" affectionate tribute. • ..'..,

Mr. Massey expressed his appreciation . of the work'of the association, which, should be encouraged as an organisation making for efficiency in the Public Service. He'could not say that''the Public Service Act was perfect. It was intended.to amend it within two or three years in the directions indiacted as necessary. This was in 1913, when the Bill was passed, but the war came next year and altered everything. The Public Service Act was far too controversial' a matter for the National Government to touch. There was a difference on the part of the Ministers themselves-in regard to the Act. Certain amendments were made during! the war. Personally,' he did not, like them then, and he did not like them now, and when the opportunity came he would like to straighten the Act up, always, however, retaining the vital principle of non-political control. (Hear, hear.) :--.'\ THE NEW COMMISSIONER:..';:. Mr. Massey congratulated the a'sso'cia< tion on the appointment of Mr. Verschaffelt as Public Service Commissioner. He had watched Mr. Verschaffelt's car-! eer, and'he would'be very disappointed, if he did not make a first-class Commis-. sioner.- la regard to the business be-" fore the conference, he noticed a remit' in regard to promotion by seniority.. Promotion by seniority was all 'right oii paper, but it did not work out well in practice. If. a man had the qualifications for a good officer, that man should have the opportunity to come out.. As to the rule about retirement after 40 years'; ser-;: vice, this might.be quite right in theory; but he had noticed that during the" last six months a number.of men,"hacT.left the service in their very prime and quite' a number . were getting ■•". outside the service now a higher salary, than they ever got before -— that in addition to superannuation Moreover, -he had received complaints from'outside.that these were coming into-competition with private people. In his- own Department he hada man who was eligible for retirement, and who could get £1000 a year to-nior-. row outside. No end of institutions were only too pleased to get- ex-Public -servants retired in their prime. -He .would* like to see the association endeavour, to. find a way. out to retain the services of such men for the country. as long as" possible—men who were "as good tb:da'y; as' they ever were. Many had been re-^ minded in the last few months that their time was up> and the sooner they gob out-the better. . This was not in the. best:interests of the State. ..•'.■. :■ ■ ' _ Mr. Massey dealt also' with the question of superannuation and widows' pensions. It was true that £31 a year'was' not much, but it amounted to a great' deal in 'the aggregate, and the Treasuryhad reminded him that, what with-peh-". sions_ and superannuation, there.^jriiigh'S 1 be difficulties if a depression came agaiiie .THE ARBITRATION ACZ•';~--"•> * After dealing briefly - with housing; aiiA the provisions of the new measure, which he described as the most liberal of any -before any Parliament in the world, thej. Prime Minister referred to the suggestion that the, Public Service should coma under the operation -of the Arbitration Act.: Personally, he would be: inclined ■ to consider such a suggestion favourablj%but it was a matter that should be investigated most carefully, not only by members of the Service, but by the Government. .;.He did -not like-ttie -present arrangement, which -led.;to;|nctiop''"and he wanted to avoid frictioitr as -far' as possible. "I want," said ■:Mr. .Massey, "to see .a, satisfactory Public.~'Seryice and an efficient Public Service, but you can't have a satisfactory Public-Service unless it.is also a' satisfied one. 'The Government of this country is anxious to treat members of the Public. Servica in the way of salaries and . conditions better than anywhere, in the world. I have seen a good deal of the Public Service in England and iii-other countries, and I have no hesitation in.saying tliat we have just as good a-service in "this country as there is in any otiier-couiitay in the world. If there is; anything" "l could do without interfering-'with;''the interests of the couritry to better: your conditions and make members of the Public Service more contented—l can speak for , myself and my colleagues—l shall be very glad to do it." (A.D- • plause.) v" *..• ANNUAL REPORT-' A&tft&r** the adoption °£ ■ The annual report states that the "ef-. feet of the retrenchment in the service,' coupled with the resignations of a lar-a number of the Police Force from the membership of the association. has?been more evident in the finances this year • than last, llie year commenced (a credit balance of £186 195.5 d, on cur rent account, and concluded with a. credit, balance of £224 4s. The report claims the following as among the more important successes of the year:—(l) Reduction of second salary cut by £5; (2) withholding indefinitely the third salary cut; (3) speeding up of retirement of officers with 40 years' service who are eligible to retire on superannuation ; (4) reinstatement of the day after New Year as a holiday (5) equivalent leave for officers-of the general division who were not permitted a holiday on Anniversary Day arid the day after New Year; (6) undertaking that a minimum salary of £140 per annum for all officers twenty-one years of age be considered in connection with the 100? classification list; (7) right of appeaffe class VII. officers adversely affected by the alteration in the salary scale for -W< grade; (8) leave to certain Customs offi. cers without deduction from annual kav* (tart year only); (9) reinstatement o? .railway, passes for, members of < the Do

fence "Department stationed at Trentham j; (10) .withdrawal of instruction that Public servants who were required to attend the last military training* camps should have the. period deducted...- from their annual leave; (11) extension od date in the Public Expenditure Adjustment Act relating to notifications of officers in regard to -payment of. superannuation contributfons on higher salary; (12) amendment ol Magistrate's Court Act, extending the provision for the appointing of officers of the Justice Department to the Magistracy j . (13) provision that professional cadets who had been barred should be placed on the next salary step; (14)-pro-vision that survey cadets who had passed the surveyor's examination and who were awaiting appointment sHould be given in the meantime the salary of a clerical officer with similar service; (15) decision,that dismissals be not gazetted until appeals against such have been heard by the Publio Service Appeal Board; (16). satisfaction was also given' by an announcement by the Prime Minister in the House during last session, when dealing with retrenchment. In reply to a question, he stated that in cases of hardship, v the Public Service Cojnmissioner was prepared to: consider auch "if brought forward by the Public Service Association." " • Many of these cases have accordingly been reviewed. Jn his address, the president referred to.'the satisfactory progress of the association in [spite o£ retrenchment and retirements. The association was glad to have tfie.'assurance of the Prime Minister , that ■ the principle. of non-political control should stand in -the Public Service Act. .

The financial side of the situation was eminently satisfactory, for/ the . association.

He moved the'adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet.'