PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 994, 20 March 1891, Page 26

PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION.

The first annual general meeting of the Public Service Association was held in the Exchange Hall on Wednesday evening, being the data fixed by the rules. Mr J. E. Fitz Gerald, C.M.G., President of the Association, was in the chair, and there were about 200 Civil Servants present. The Chairman stated that the first business was to lay before the meeting the report of the Provisional Committee appointed at the meeting held on the 31st July last He read the report, which stated that the full Committee had held 17 meetings in addition to very numerous meetings of sub-eom-mittees, and that subjects covering the whole of the ground proposed to betaken up by the Association had been worked out; and that a considerable number of very valuable papers and reports, &c., bearing on the conditions and privileges of the Public Services of other countries had been gathered together from various sources, amongst others from His Excellency the Governor, Patron of the Association, and from the Agent-General, which would form the nucleus of a reference collection on these and cognate subjects. The number of members enrolled to date was 1048, and at the recent election of Council 944 members had voted Local committees had been formed in the several postal districts, and to their energetic exertions was due the successful extension of the A ssociation, throughout the Colony, as well as to the honorary secretary (Mr F. Flanagan), who had been indefatigable in performing the dntij3 of his office. The repcrt concluded by stating that the Association now formed already comprised a large proportion of the Public Service in all parts of the Colony, including men of all ranks, and of every department. Its loyalty to the Government and the public was sufficiently guaranteed by the high patronage under which it had been inaugurated, and if governed by wise and prudent councils the Association could cat fail to increase the efficiency, and therefore to promote the economy of the Public Service of New Zealand. Mr Fitz Gerald, referring to the report, said it was not his duty or intention to make a speech that evening, but there were one or two thing 3 he would like to mention. At the last meeting of the Committee he had been desired to interview the Hon the Premier, and to lay before him the cocsti. tntion and object of the Association to ask that in any fresh legislation that might take place with regard to the Public Service, the Association might be afforded an opportunity of expressing opinions and suggesting. He had done so. and the Premier had stated in very definite language that he was favourable to the - Association, and that he would be only too

glad to have the opinions of tho representatives of the Service, and jto listen to any suggestions they might desire to make. The principal business for the present meetiDg was the adoption of the report, and the consideration of the question of setting up a local committee for the Wellington district now that the Provisional Committee of Wellington officers was giving place to the General Council, eleoted for the whole Colony ; but while at the previous meeting the immediate object had been to pass the rules, and so enable the Council to be elected, and therefore discussion of general subjects had been inadvisable ; at the pre sent meeting any matter might be, and ho hoped would be fully discussed. Mr L. G. Reid moved the adoption and printing of the report, which was seconded by Mr Allport. Mr Watt moved that a local committee of 10 members bo elected fortwitb.

Sir E. Gibbea said he would like to know whether the Provisional Committee had fully considered whether a local committee for Wellington was neoessa y. The Chairman pointed out that the report he had just read expressed that opinion, and now that the general Counoil had been duly elected a local committee was necessary, the more so as the chairman of such committee would by the rules have a seat on the Council. After soms further discussion the Chairman said he thought that the meeting as constituted, which was the general meeting of the Association, could not properly or logically proceed with the election of a looal Committee, and that the proper course would be for the present meeting to dissolve and form itself into a meeting of Wellington officers to proceed with the election of a Local Committee for Wellington. This suggestion was adopted, and after very cordial votes of thanks had been specially acoorded to the Chairman and Hon Secretary of the Provisional Committee, and to the outgoing Provisional Committee as a whole, for the work done in founding and organising the Association, the general meeting closed. At the meeting of Wellington officers, held immediately afterwards, Mr Fitz Gerald was again voted to the chair. An animated discussion took place upon the question of the Local Committee for the Wellington district, and it was eventually resolved that it would be inadvisable to elect the committee forthwith ; and a Provisional Committee consisting of Messrs Pilcher, Watt, Tregear, Reid and Habeas was appointed to arrauge far the election by ballot of a Local Committee to consist, of ten members. The meeting then adjourned.