THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15201, 15 January 1913, Page 8

THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

WORK OF COMMISSIONERS.

PRELIMINARY INQUIRIES.

[by . TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Tuesday.' Very considerable interest is being taken by public servants in the preliminary operations of the Public Service Commission, which takes complete charge of the service on and after April 1.

One of. the first acts of the commission, says the Post,'.. was, to send a circular to heads of Departments asking for a report on each officer under him, and the nature of the duties performed by that officer. The fact that such a report was asked for was viewed with considerable uneasiness by several members of the service for the reasons, in the first place, that some did not think the head of the Department knew anything about the nature of the duties they had to perform, in the second place because some had an idea that the head of the Department might . have a bias against them, and in the third place place because they felt that the commission was starting out in the wrong way, that 'it should not place so much responsibility on the heads of the .Departments, but should make some inquiries among the officers themselves. ,As -.: one public servant remarked to a Post representative: "It is all very well to ask the head of the Department what he thinks about me. It should be equally interesting to the commission to hear what I think about the head of the Depart: ment." ,*■' ' ",

The commission has not gone that length, but it has sent an additional circular to all the officers asking for a statement as to the duties the officer performs, whether daily or occasionally, and space is left for " any other remarks, which, it is understood, will give the officer an 'opportunity of saying some ,of the things ho might like to say. This return is to be sent direct to the commission, and not through the medium of the : head of the Department

The general opinion of the members of the service appears to be that this is a good move on the part of the commission, on the assumption, of course, that whatever is said will be regarded as confidential, and that an officer's statement will not be submitted to the head sof the Department if the views of the two should happen to be in conflict. :..'.,'•