NO MORE HOT PIES

Evening Star, Issue 20592, 18 September 1930, Page 1

NO MORE HOT PIES

CIVIL SERVICE ECONOMY Farewell to hot meat pies and morn* ing tea for Public Servants! That strictest economy is being practised by all State departments is no secret, but the general public perhaps, does not realise to what degree these economies are being carried out, says the Sydney ‘ Sun.’ “ It used to be ” is the preface to most remarks concerning luxuries now in all departments. Until recently the office girls and clerks of the Public Service were allowed to heat meat pies* on their radiators, and morning and' afternoon teas were the order ot the da,? But not- now. ■ Draughtsmen are supplied with pencil holders to, make the pencils go further. Instead-of departmental pay envelopes, those supplied by the banks are used in the service. Iso fountain pen ink or magazine pencil refills are supplied. Duplicate copies of communications have been dispensed with, and, whenever possible, letters are sent instead of telegrams. The service now uses stamps already, punched by the Postal Department, instead of purchasing stamps, and having them punched at its own printing office. Travelling allowances for country runs have been reduced Is a day from 16s to 15s, and car allowances to lOd a mile. . ... No junior clerks are being appointed to the service at present. Out or the approximate number ■ of 200 junior clerks who qualified at the last intermediate'examination, between ' thirty and forty only were engaged, Uns year the Public Service will not hold an examination in conjunction with the intermediate at ail. In tho Premier’s Department, messenger boys are employed to deliver letters instead of posting to metropolitan districts. Every inch of official envelopes is used before they arc finally discarded. This means that an envelope may be used a dozeu tunes, and bear a dozen addresses at the end ul its cftrcci’i Closer supervision over every brandi of expenditure is being observed, and the , cleaning system throughout all oepartments, schools, and offices has been revised, to bring the whole under one management. This does not necessitate more unemployment. . , „ Entertaining in the' Premier s Department has also been cut down to a minimum. „ , , , f The library of reference books has not been kept up-to-date for some time, when reference books arc required, they are borrowed .from the public or parliamentary libraries. • All through tho departments the Publib Servants are: taking these cuts in good part, and philosophically tell ’ ono ;that a very long lane without smrio. sort bf turning.