CIVIL SERVICE APPEAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16372, 28 October 1916, Page 8

CIVIL SERVICE APPEAL.

RIGHT TO PROMOTION.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL'S OPINION. /

IBY TELEGRAPH.-PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON. Friday. An- appeal by the Public Service Association against the action of the head of one of the Government Department's objecting to the transfer, on promotion, to another Department of two officers, has been upheld. In May last the Public Service Commissioners advertised several vacancies in clerkships at the Public Trust Office. | The Public Trustee having selected two ' officers in (he State Guaranteed Advances Department to fill the positions, the permanent head of that Department objected to their transfer, and, as his objections stood in the way of their promotion, the Public Service Association protested against the action of the head of the Department. This appeal has now been upheld on the basis of an opinion given by the Solicitor-General. In tho course of his opinion Dr. Salmond says :— Speaking generally, an officer should be regarded as entitled, as of right, to appointment if he is suitable for it, in respect of experience, ability and character, and if he is tho best of the applicants. Therefore, to retain him in an inferior position because his promotion will cause inconvenience in the Public Service, would not in ordinary circumstances be justifiable. If any Department thinks it necessary to retain an officer in its service, the proper method is to pay him as high a salary as he is worth in any other Department. If he is not receiving such salary, his promotion to another Department could not reasonably be objected to. The board would bo justified in requiring a strong case of unavoidable public inconvenience to be made out before depriving an officer of any substantial promotion to which ho would be otherwise entitled."