PUBLIC SERVICE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 230, 27 August 1940, Page 2

PUBLIC SERVICE

STAFFING INCREASE. REMARKABLE FIGURES. Permanent' employees of State departments liave increased almost threelold since'l929 (states the Christchurch Press). A study of the figures of all administrative departments, and including the Post and Telegraph Department, the railway service, the primary school teaching profession, and public works, shows that the number of permanent and temporary employees paid by the Government at the end of March was 93,569, as against 56,957 11 years ago. Allowance has also to bo made for the 1314 public servants who are absent on service with the armed forces.

The employees now engaged in the permanent departments of State number 20,87(1, as against 7638 in 1929, 7513 in 1932, and 7587 in 1935 eight months before the Labour Government took office. In 1929, according to the official returns, the temporary employees in the Public Service totalled 1879; today the number reaches 6604. The greatly increased staff which comes under the control of the Public Service Commissioner is recorded in the following tabulation which compares the figures for four periods since 1929 imo -intrc

Totals 7638 7513 7587 20,870 But the greater number of public servants are employed in the Post and Telegraph, Railways, and Public Works Departments, and as teachers of priinary schools under the control of the Education Department. Hie comparative figures for these departments for

bered 6604. In 1929 the salaries of the administrative departments were £2,187,064, and by 1932 the amount bad dropped to £1,882,1754. By 1935, after the restoration of wages by 7j per cent., the amount reached £2,174,466, and at the beginning of this year it had reached the sum of £3,146,542.

Agriculture Air (civilians) Army civilians 1929 549 156 1932 530 157 1935 508 173 1940 1067 210 562 216 Broadcasting .......... Census and statistics Crown law Customs Defence Education 6 205 49 298 6 298 31 270 7 328 30 261 233 115 9 571 612

External Affairs and Cook Islands 7 5 105 24 111 99 136 Health 428 412 381 896

Industries and commcrce, tourist and 160 242 474 867 publicity .. Internal affairs 116 378 165 244 Iron & steel industry _ — . 1<5 Justice and prisons . 500 551 535 674 107 95 182 472 134 126 122 152 Lands & income tax 160 175 189 802 Lands and survey ... 629 588 576 888 Marino 188 168 154 216 Marketing Mental hospitals .... Mines 940 51 1092 49 1089 50 263 1461 103

National commercial broadcasting National Provident & Friendly Societies . 24 94 32 105 29 118 286 53 404 Navy Office (civil’ns) Police (clerical) Prime Minister’s ... Printing & stationery Public Service Commissioner’s 6 8 319 9 6 6 248 8 7 6 236 7 126 10 14 293 50

Public Service super10 8 8 16 600 629 688 1035 Public Works 718 714 649 3608 Scientific and industrial research 51 57 59 297 Social Security (previously pensions) . 110 •101 104 1200 75 71 70 113 State Advances 87 98 110 1297 State Fire Insurance 142 134 131 258 Stato Forest 119 109 98 273 Transport 89 7 78 21 72 196 163 Valuation 85 78 72 136

the four periods are:— 1929. 1932. 1935 1940. V and T.' 11,727 10,479 10,617 14.450 "Railways 19,086 14.930 16,189.25.710 Education 6,341 6,276 6,442 6,332 In 1929, the temporary employees numbered 1879. By 1932 they had dropped to 1818, and in 1935 to 100(3. At the end of March last, they, num-