CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7896, 15 March 1887, Page 5

CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS.

iBY TELEGRAPH—PRB33 ASSOCIATION.] Napier, Monday. Mr. Ormond has received the following letter from the Premier respecting the Civil Service examinations:—"l have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th March regarding the examinations for Civil Service. The position of the matter has been entirely altered by the Act of last session. Previously the Civil Service examination was simply an entrance examination, Ministers for time being selecting any cadets who had passed the examination for vacancies. By the Act of last session, however, examination has become competitive, and only those who obtain the highest number of marks are eligible for appointments. There are so few appoint ments in the Civil Service, that if the examinations were held half-yearly it might happen that those who went up, say, for the January examination might not obtain any appointment at all, because there might be no vacancies during the first half-year. The Government, therefore, were compelled to make the examination yearly, and new regulations will be isened in a day or two dealing with the mode of examination and the subjects. It is impossible, so long as the examination is a competitive one, to have it half-yearly. lam sorry if this will inconvenience any schools or any pupils, but as yon are aware, the alteration made in the Act was by an amendment made in the Council, and not in the Bill as proposed by the Government. The Government, however, must carry out the will of the Legislature, and can only do so in the way we propose."