PARLIAMENT.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VIII, Issue 312, 5 December 1918, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 4th. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at noon, s POST AND TELEGRAPH BILL. : Sir J. G. Ward moved the second , reading of the Post and Telegraph i Department Bill, wh"ch is intended - to make better provision for the ads ministration of ’he Department, s The bill provides that the Public Service Act of 1912, wil 1 have no ap- - plication to the Department. “Al] i references in that Act to that De- ; partment and to the officers thereof 1 shall cease to have any force or effect.” The following officers will be 3 appointed by the Governor-General t The Secretary of the Post and Telet graph Department (who under the direction of the Minister .will have f control and general administration t of the Department) and the first and i second assistant secretaries. Pers sons now in these an I other posit tions will continue + o hold office. All - other officers will be appointed by the Public Service Commissioner in - accordance with the provisions of t the new bill without prejudice to j the power of dismissal in accordance 1 with the regulations. Officers (except probationers) will be remov- - able after three months’ notice. The - Governor-General by Order-in--1 Council may make regulations for . the classification of' the Department i determining salaries and allowances > prescribing duties providing for - organisation and discipline, provid- ; ing for inquiries into charges of ins efficiency or misconduct, . and the > general control and administration of the Department. Such regula- : tions must be made before Parlia- ; ment within fourteen days after - publication in the Gazette, if Parliament is then sitting, otherwise 1 within fourteen days after the be- • ginning of. the next ensuing session. ■ A Promotion Board is to be establ lished consisting of the Secretary of ; the Department, the Chief Inspec- ■ tor, the Superintendent of the Staff, ■ and one other officer to be elected s by the officers of the Department. In respect of all appointments of ■ officers to be made bj the Public i Service Commissioner the matter i will be first considered by the Proi motion Board, which will recom- • mend persons to fill vacancies. Preference will be given to officers of r the Department. If the Public Ser- ; vice Commissioner is satisfied that • the recommendation has been duly made by the board in accordance ; with the provision of th Act he will s make the appointment accordingly. ■ Tn the event of disagreement between the Commissioner and the I board the matter will be determin--1 ed by the Minister. No officer of i the Department is to be appointed > to any other Department of the Goi vernment service except with the consent of the Secretary and permanent head of the other Departi ment. An Appeal Board is to be established, to consist of two persons appointed by the GovernorGeneral, one by the Postal branch, I and one by the Telegraph branch of j the Department. Every officer will have the right of appea 1 in matters of classification or salary. In moving the second reading Sir Joseph Ward said the men in the lower grades of the Department were on lower salaries than those in other Departments, except one. A feeling of injustice had been rankling in the ; breasts those lower paid men. I They deserved recognition for faithful and reliable service to the pubj lie. The provisions of the Appeal ! Board removed Ministerial power of veto. Promotion by merit was one important principle of the measure. The bill provided fixed salaries for positions and facilitated advancement in salary. The new scales would operate from April Ist next. There was an impressive necessity for the changes provided in the bill. Sir Joseph said he had been satisfied for a long time that the service could not go on as it has been doing. He did not wish to complain at the method of administration by the Public Service Commissioner, but- the fact remained that the service was discontented, and the best results could not be obtained from disaffected men. On the subject of the general classification of the Public Service, he said there would be a re-classification and re-grading of the whole Public Service next April. Discussion was proceeding when the House rose at 5.30 p.m. After resuming a number of members commended the general principles of the bill but made suggestions for amendments based on local experience. Sir J. G. Ward, in reply, dealt with the points'raised in the debate and the House went into committee on the bill. Mr. C. E. Statham. Mr. J. McCombs. and Mr. Massey were appointed managers to confer with the Council in committee on the Post and Telegraph Department Bill. Sir J. G. Ward moved to include the Chief Telegraph Engineer as a member of the Promotion Board.— Agried tc. With this exception the bill was unamended, read the third time, and passed. AVAR LEGISLATION AMENDMENT. Mr. Massey moved that the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the War Legislation Amendment Bill be agreed to. Mr. J. McCombs pointed out that the Council had so amended subsection 5 of clause 11 as to enable soldiers’ wives and dependents to contract themselves out of the very provision designed to give them protection against excessive rents. He predicted if this were allowed to stand no landlord would let his house to a soldier’s wife or dependents until they agreed not to take advantage of the protection afforded them, and then the position which arose in connection with the Mortgages Extension Act would be repeated. The Premier had not acted fairly with the House when he promised to accept the amendment moved by the member for Wanganui in committee on the bill. He moved that the amendment be not agreed to. Mr. W. A. Veitch seconded. Mr. J. Payne said no soldier’s w’ife or dependents w-ould be able to rent a house unless they contraeied themselves out of the provisions of the Act. and An amendment which had that effect should not be agreed to, Mr. Massey agreed to refer subclause 5b of clause 11 back to the Council for consideration. Mr. McCombs accepted this and: the other amendments were agreed to. Sir James Allen moved, the second reading of the Repatriation Bill (reported elsewhere). The Bill passed its second reading: and the House rose at 3.15 a.m. I