THE AGE-LIMIT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8457, 17 June 1913, Page 4

THE AGE-LIMIT

MESSENGERS PERTURBED TWO MORE RETIREMENTS IN CIVIL SERVICE. In reply to an inquiry yesterday, the Public Service Commissioner (Mr D. Robertson) stated that he was unable to tarnish a complete list of public servants over the age of sixty-five years who would be retired on pension this year, owing to the fact that some of the officers concerned had not yet received official intimation of their retirement. It is generally that the power vested in the Commissioner to retire all officers who have attained or passed sixty-five years of age, will be exercised throughout all departments. A number of messengers have already received notice of their -retirement as from December 31st next, with three months’ leave on pay from September 30th. The Commissioner intends to recommend that a minimum pension of £1 a week be allowed to single men and £1 10s a week to married men. As already indicated in the “Times," the rigid enforcement of this discretionary authority will probably lead to hardship in many cases, and already the old messengers are said to be greatly perturbed at the Commissioners mandate. It is known that two more officers have received notice of retirement—Mr Roderick Murray, who has keen manager of the water-raoes at Naseby since 1893, and is an esteemed officer of the Mines Department. The head office staff and district inspectors of mines intend to present Mr Murray with a solid silver cup, bearing the following inscription;—“Presented to Roderick Murray, Esq., by his brother officers, on his retirement from the Mines Department. New Zealand, 1913.” Another officer about to retire is Mr fi. J. S. Hickson, bookkeeper in the Treasury, and brother of Mr C. A. St. G. Hickson, formerly Commissioner of Stamps. He saw service in the Waikato Maori war in the ’sixties, and has boon in the public service for many voara. CLASSIFICATION. The- Commissioners are now engaged almost exclusively upon the provisional classification list, which will probably be published before the end of this month, and against which appeals will be allowed during thirty days after publication.' There now remain only a tew officers who are to interview the Commissioner on the subject of their classification. After appeals have bees dealt with, the revisedlist with recommendations regarding salary, will' be presented to Parliament for approval. The public service workshops regulations are in an advanced state of preparation, and should be gazetted at an early data.