Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, NOV. 29, 1927. THE PUBLIC SERVICES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 306, 29 November 1927, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, NOV. 29, 1927. THE PUBLIC SERVICES.

Bills affecting the Public Service, the Post and Telegraph and the Railway Departments have passed through Parliament during the last fortnight or so wkicli are designed to secure uniformity in the administration of the departments under the direct control of the Public Service Commissioner, as also of the Post and Telegraph and Government Railways Departments, which are independent pf the Commissioner’s control. The Public Service Act invested the Commissioner with almost unlimited powers of control over the Public Service, and the amending Act seems to rather fortify his position than ’otherwise, and to increase his powers of action, as Ministers of the Crown are still left without a say, even in the making of new appointments, which may be deemed advisable in the public interest. The Commissioner, for instance, may recommend that, where any office or officer has been excluded from the operation of the principal Act, the declaration so excluding such officer may be revoked, and while the Gov-ernor-General-in-Council is not obliged to adopt such recommendation, as the section dealing with the matter is not mandatory, a position may arise which would bring Ministers and the Commisisoner into conflict, with undesirable results. It seems to us that by far too much discretionary power is left in the hands of the Commissioner- Capable and all as that gentleman unquestionably is, the powers invested in him are rather those that should be exercised by a board of three commissioners than by one individual. It has been one of the failings of the service that, unless one enters as a cadet, no outsider is eligible for appointment to any office within the service. This is partly remedied under sections 6 and 7 of the amending measure, but it is still left entirely to the discretion of the commissioner, whether appointments shall be made from outside the service, as such appointments are made conditional upon no other officer in the service being, in the Commissioner’s opinion, available and fully qualified to fill the positions and capable of carrying out the duties'attached thereto. A good point in the Bill is that efficiency, rather than seniority of service, is in future to be the determining factor where two or more of-

fleers are applicants for the same position, tlie Bill providing that “the relative efficiency of two or more officers shall be determined by reference to their special qualifications and aptitude for the discharge of the duties of the office to be filled, together with merit, diligence and good conduct.” The Post and Telegraph Department is mow made responsible for its own finance, in the same way as the Government Railways Department now controls its finances — that being a step in' the right direction. Both departments remain outside of the Public Service Commissioner’s control, although the members of either service may apply for positions vacant in other departments under the Commissioner’s control. Promotion by efficiency, rather than by seniority, becomes the definitely fixed principle in all promotions within the several departments of State. This is as it should be. The right of appeal by any member of the several services, against any appointment by way of promotion to any office for which he may have been an applicant, is preserved by sections strengthening the position of the Appeal Boards. Regarded as a whole the amendments made to all three Acts may be looked upon as satisfactory, although we are still of the opinion that Ministers in charge of the several departments under the control of the Public Service Commissioner should have a say in determining all important appointments to such departments.