"LOSS TO DEPARTMENT"

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 59, 13 March 1929, Page 10

"LOSS TO DEPARTMENT"

OFFICER GOES ELSEWHERE

(Special to "The Evening Post.")

PAL3IEJJSTON N., This Day.

Strong exception to the Health Department's allowing its secretary, Mr. E. A. S. Killiek, to leave the service to take up the position of Town Clerk at Tiniaru was taken by Mr. William Wallace, chairman of the Hospital Boards' Conference.

Mr. Wallace stated that Mr. Kilhck had boon an officer of the Department for twenty-five years, and secretary for cloven 'years, lie regretted his departure from Hie Department, but was pleased to see that he had been chosen as Town Clerk of Timaru out of 174 applications. ' The spenkor regretted that the Minister had allowed a man of such ability to leave the Department, but to his astonishment ho found that the Minister was subservient to the Civil Sorvice Commissioner in the matter. Mr. Wallace thought that the conference should lake.steps to get Mr. KUlick retained with the Department. If' any service in New Zealand wanted "top-notchors" it was the Civil, Service, and Mr. Killiek's departure was a loss to the whole community

"I may say," said tho speaker, "that at the first opportunity _ I approached the Minister with a view to efforts being made to retain the services of Mr. Killick, and, although I gather that some inducement could be offered, it was by no means sufficient. The Minister himself had made a serious admission that he regretted the state of affairs under which it was impossiblo to obtain the services of men. like Mr. Killiek. A man of exceptional ability as Mr. Killick is surely worth adequate remuneration for his services, especially in view of the fact that, if allowed to function fully, he would be the means of saving thousands of pounds in other directions."