STAFFING PROBLEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25444, 27 January 1944, Page 6

STAFFING PROBLEM

WAR-TIME DIFFICULTIES MAN-POWER APPEAL CASE “ The Public Trust has no priority over the Perpetual Trustees Estate and Agency Company, Ltd.—both are rendering the same service to the community. One is a Government department and the other | Is a private concern,” said Mr Mark Hanan at a sitting yesterday of the Industrial Man-power Appeal Committee, which was engaged in hearing an appeal by Frank Paul Evans, a barrister and solicitor employed as an estates clerk by the Public Trust, who had been refused by the man-power officer permission to accept employment with the Perpetual Trustees. The committee consisted of Messrs M. W. Grantham (chairman). S. D. Macpherson, and H. H. Gillard. Decision was reserved. The acting man-power officer, Mr J. H. Flowers, stated that he had been asked, to represent the district man-po\ver officer at Wellington in this case. Full inquiries had been made from the Public Service Commissioner and the Public Trust Office, and the appellant’s release had been opposed as he was a member of the permanent staff and was considered to be a valuable officer. Appellant’s Case ,

The appellant, who was represented byMr Hanan, based his appeal., on public interest and undue hardship. He joined the Public Trust Office in 1934. and from then until 1938 he was an administrative clerk. In 1938 he was sent to Hastings, where his classification was that of a clerk. He was not classified as a law clerk. In May, 1940, he, volunteered for overseas service and passed grade I. but when he received notice to proceed to camp he was advised by the Public Trust that he had been reserved and was to go to Gisborne for relieving work on the St ” f Tliat r was done entirely without my knowledge or consent," the appellant continued. Actually it was March, 1942, before he was released for the army. He was dissatisfied with the condit.ons in the office and had intended to leave j’l°k P n to better himself, but the war had broken out-and he had been unable to carry out his wishes. He had now been released by the army and wished to leave the Public T Representatives of both the Public Trust Office and the Perpetual Trustees Company outlined their acute staffing dim culties Mr A. Ibbotson, general manager of the Perpetual Trustees Company, who told the committee that the total value of the business of his firm was £15,000,000, said that the . w £rk was very similar to that carried out by the Public Trust Office. His firm had agreed to employ Evans as head of thaes, ?tes administration department. Mr Ibbotson said 'that the previous manager had retired and there was no one on the start to fill this position. If Mr Evans was not available'there would be considerable difficulty in carrying, on the department. The position offered good - pros.pects for financial betterment for the appellant', whose professional knowledge and experience would be utilised to the utmost. ; - Depleted Staff At the outbreak of war the Dominion staff of the Public Trust Office totalled 750 officers, said Mr Percy R. Winchcomb, chief inspector for the Public Trust. Since then 573 had left, 442 men, having gone Into the armed forces, leaving a staff of 437. In attempting to cope, with the business the work had been considerably reorganised. Illustrating the amount of overtime , worked, 'Mr Winchcomb said that during the six months ended June, 1942, £1791 had been paid In overtime, and in the corresponding period of 1943 £4372 was paid. The work had increased in every way as a result of the war, He had tried to get qualified legal men from one, end of the Dominion to the other. Mr. Evans was on the reclassification list for an increased salary. . Although the appellant had had 14 years professional experience,. Mr Winchcomb said, he could name a list of men holding the LLJ3. degree and qualified as accountants who were getting lower salaries. He admitted that the department did hot pay a? well as many outside concerns, but the latter did not offer so many advantages, such as superannuation.' Mr Grantham: What percentage of men leave the Public Trust to go to outside employment?—Not half of one per, cent. Mr Hanan pointed out that although the Perpetual Trustees Company had no one to carry on the work, the Public Trust Office had a large staff and continued to advertise that It would take more work. City Corporation’s Appeal The Dunedin City Corporation Gasworks appealed against the granting of permission to Louis John Pepperell, fitter and turner, to -terminate his employment at the gasworks, in order to take a position at the South Otago Freezing Company, Ltd,, as a shift engineer.—The appeal was disallowed, Pepperell- to take up employment at the South Otago Freezing Works on Monday next.