PUBLIC SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 93, 17 October 1944, Page 6

PUBLIC SERVICE

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

-■ The annual conference of the Public Service Association was opened today by the Prime Minister (Mr. ■Fraser), who, in an address to delegates, spoke of the functions of the Public Service. Mr. A. H. O'Keefe presided.

In extending a welcome to the Prime Minister, and to the Assistant Public Service Commissioner (Mr. G. T. Bolt), Mr. O'Keefe said that because they knew they must do more than hope that the war would end, the association continued to do its best for the war effort. Members had contributed £26,000 to patriotic funds by regular salary deductions, and the association had contributed £1250: from its own funds. Public servants also played an active part in the loan campaigns, and the association had £12,000 invested in war loans.

The president referred to the return to civil life of public servants. The association had a big responsibility to protect their interests and also to work for a better Public Service for them to return to, he said. Among other things they would find when they came back that the old bogy of fortnightly salaries had been laid," and that general division men had their full rights of appeal restored. "I am afraid we will find-it difficult to explain why some other long-standing aims have not been . accomplished, such as the removal of the £300 superannuation limit, the extra week's leave for the general division, the extension of the cost of living bonus to all officers, the application of the association's retirement policy, and the revision of the salary scales to meet the increased cost of living," said Mr., O'Keefe. "We all know that war conditions create special difficulties, and we support the principle of stabilisation, but I hope that some qf these matters will be satisfactorily settled in the near future."

Mr. O'Keefe referred, to the association's excellent relations with the.Public Service Commissioner and his assistant, and added that it was anxious to have the opportunity of co-operat-ing with the Government.

THE NEED FOR CO-OPERATION.

The Prime Minister said the desire for co-operation was completely reciprocated by the Government, and he hoped that before the conference was over he would be able to give replies to some of the matters raised. There were some questions that would require Cabinet consideration.

"The State today, particularly when it is administered sympathetically, needs and must get co-operation from those who carry out its services," said Mr. Fraser. "And those in charge must recognise the legitimate ambitions of those who serve. Workers in all industries cannot possibly, with benefit to themselves and to the nation, carry on methods of impeding work, or any other harassing methods, without them having a boomerang effect on themselves and injuring everyone else. We want co-operation. Without it there can be no real progress. Means must be found to adjust difficulties. There must be some way of settling these without interrupting service, and the Government is ready to accept the best method."

Mr. Bolt mentioned the problem of rehabilitation, and said he, was confident that those in the service would help to make the period of rehabilitation of those, returning an easy one. Apart from those doing wartime"work, there still remained a big body of temporary employees in the Public Service. \The efficiency ■of the service could be served by putting them on a better footing, but the great difficulty was the present regulation. In that connection some assistance from the association would be appreciated.