PUBLIC SERVICE RE-GRADING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17007, 14 November 1918, Page 6

PUBLIC SERVICE RE-GRADING

URGED BY COMMISSIONERS.

'Hie re-grading of Civil servants is a subject reviewed in the annual report of tho Public Servioe Commissioners. The report says that unr'.er the Public Service Act a general re-grading of the servico has to be made at not longer Intervals than five years. Such re-grading would, in the ordinary course, have been due in August of this year, but in view of existing conditions Parliament passed legislation lost year postponing the first general re-grad-ing until 1920. As the experience of the past five years has shown that alterations are required in the schedule of annual salaries and increments, it is hoped that the desirability of suitably amending the schedule to meet existing conditions will be taken into consideration before the first re-grading. The main difficulty about the scheduled salaries is that it is too rigid oven in time of peace to meet special or abnormal conditions, while the upheaval caused by the war has intensified this. The commissioners are of opinion that in view of the peculiar conditions attaching to the Post and Telegraph Department a general re-grading of that Department In particular should take place without delay, and that provision should be made for re-grad-ing the other Departments as soon thereafter » possible.