PUBLIC SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22509, 28 August 1936, Page 13

PUBLIC SERVICE

NEED FOR DEGRADING INCREASED ACTIVITIES PENSION FUND POSITION [by TELEGRAPH —special reporter] WELLINGTON, Thursday The urgent necessity for a general regradiug of the Public Service is one j of the main points stressed in the ! annual report of the Public Service Commissioner for the year ended June i 30, which was tabled in the House of Representatives to-day by the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage. The report is signed by the acting-commissioner, Mr. J A. D. Thomson, and the acting-assist-ant commissioner, Mr. T. Mark, although following on recent legislation Mr. Mark and Mr. J. H. Boyes have been appointed joint commissioners. The report states that there has been greatly increased departmental activity during the past 12 months, which has not only involved the appointment of additional staff, but has also increased in many cases the importance of classified positions.' It is admitted that the work of rcgrading should be undertaken by a permanent commissioner, and in this connection it will be recalled that one of the reasons given in the House for the appointment of two commissioners was the urgency for the general rcgrading. Expansion of Service Reference is also made in the report, to the desirability of a review of the salaries of heads of departments and it is stated that some improvement should be effected. The expansion of the Public Service is also mentioned and it is noted that members of the staffs of the State Advances Corporation, the National Broadcasting Service and the Primary Products Marketing Department have all become civil servants during the year under review. In addition, the passing of new legislation lias resulted in increases to the staffs of the Agriculture, Labour, Pensions, Public Works and Transport Departments. The provisional total for the permanent staff as at April 1 this year is given as 7869. Between January and Juno this year 239 cadets were appointed to the departments, the total for the calendar year 1935 being 359. The 40-hour Week Question Difficulties in the way of the application of the 40-hour week to all branches of the service are pointed out in the report, which states that in many cases the reduction of working hours would mean that additional staff would have to be provided. This would result in a shortage of accommodation, including living accommodation, which could only be met by a considerable increase in the building programmes of the departments concerned. Attention is again drawn to the unsatisfactory state of the Public Service Superannuation Fund and the argument is advanced that a sound pension scheme is essential in any well-ordered service. Early action is advocated to place the fund on a proper basis. In the event of amending legislation being introduced, the report states that some provision should be made whereby an officer can make better provision for his widow in the event of his death. Under the present scheme an officer on retirement may be entitled to a pension of £SOO a year, but should he die liis widow would bo entitled to only £3l a year. RIGHTS OF MEMBERS EVIDENCE ON PETITIONS MATAMATA LIQUOR REQUEST [flY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday As a result of a select committee of the House of Representatives hearing evidence on a petition without notifying the member who had presented it, there was fairly considerable argument in the House to-day over the rights of private members. * The matter arose when Mr. C. L. Carr (Government — Tiinaru), presented the report of the Public Petitions A to L Committee on the petition of W. S. Clinch and 474 others, asking for an amendment to the licensing laws so that liquor licences could be permitted at Matamata. Mr. Carr said that as a question of policy was involved the committee recommended that the petition should be referred to the Government for consideration.

Exception to the presentation of the report was immediately taken by Mr. A. F. Moncur (Government —Rotorua), who said ho had been informed that the petition would not be heard for a fortnight. He moved that it should be referred back to the committee. Mr. Carr said a representative of the petitioners had come all the way from Matamata, and tho committee had thought it desirable to hear him. It had examined all the evidence carefully and could not make any better recommendation than that beforo the House. After further argument in which Mr. Moncur maintained that lie should have been present at the bearing, Mr. Carr said tho committee would be quite prepared to reconsider tho matter, and the motion that the report should be referred back was carried.