PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 49

PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION.

ADDRESS BY MR MASSEY. WELLINGTON, July. 17. The annual conference of the Public Service Association opened to-day, Air R. Sinei, president, being in the ohair. The President made feeling reference to the death of Sir William Fraser. The conference was addressed by Mr Massey, who expressed appreciation of the work of the association, which should be encouraged as an organisation making for efficiency in the Public Service. He could not say the Public Service Act was perfect. It was proposed in 1913 to amend it. but war came and altered everything. The Act was far too controversial a matter for the National Government to touch. Certain amendments were made during the war. Personally, he did not like them then, and he did not like them now; and when the opportunity came he would like to strengthen the Act, always, however, retaining the vital principle of non-political control. He congratulated the association on the appointment of Mr Verschaffelt as Public Service Commissioner. He had watched Mr Verscliaffelt’s career, and would be disappointed if he did not make a firstclass commissioner. Mr Massey referred to promotion by seniority, which, he said, was all right on paper, but did not work well in practice. If a man had oualifications for a good officer he should have the opportunity to come out. As to the rule about retirement after 40 wears’ service, he mentioned that during the last six months a number of men had left the service in their very prime, and quite a number were getting the outside service, a higher salary than they ever got before, in addition to superannuation. Moreover, he had received complaints from outside that these men were coming into competition with private people. In his own department he Had one who was eligible for retirement, and who could get £IOOO a year to-morrow outside. No end of institutions were only too pleased to get ex-public servants who w'ere retired in their prime. He would like to see the association endeavour to find a way out to retain the services of such men for the country as long as possible —men who were as o-ood to-day as they ever were. Many of them had been reminded in the last few months that their time was up. and the sooner they got out the better. This was not in Ine best interests of the State. Mr Massey dealt also with the question of superannuation and widows’ pensions. It was true, he said, that £3l a year was not much, but it amounted to a great deal injbhe aggregate, and the Treasury had reminded him that what with pensions and superannuation there might he difficulties if a depression came again. After dealing briefly with the housing problem and the provisions of the new measure, which he described as the most liberal of any before any Parliament in the world, the Prime Minister referred to a suggestion that the public service should come under the oneration of the Arbitration Act. Personally, he would be Inclined to consider such a suggestion favourably, but it was a matter that should be investigated most carefully, not only by members of the service, but by the Government. He did not like the present arrangement, which led to friction, and be wanted to avoid friction as much as possible. “I want,” said Mr Massey,

‘‘to see satisfaction in the public service, and an efficient public service, but you can’t have a satisfactory public service unless it is also a satisfied one. The Government of this country is anxious to treat

members of the public service in the way of salaries and conditions better than anywhere in the world. I have seen a good deal of public service in England, and in other countries, and I have no hesitation in saying that we have just as good a service in this country as there is in any other country In the world. If there is anything I could do without interfering with the interests of the country to better your conditions and to make members of the public service more contented, and I speak for myself and my colleagues, I shall be very glad to do it. ’ —(Applause.) J uly 20. The conference of the Executive Council of the New Zealand Public Servants’ Association was concluded to-day. The following remit was carried: “That the association urges upon the Government the advisability of setting up a commission of experts, not necessarily members of the public service, for tho purpose of examining the present system of public accounts and reporting to the Government whether, in its opinion, tho system includes adequate safeguards against fraudulent manipulation of public moneys.'’ The following remits were passed: That certain officers of the Government Life Insurance have their compensation rights preserved. That the Government be requested to amend “The Public Service Classification and Superannuation Act, ISO?,” so as to provide that any contributor whose salary may be reduced through no fault of his own be allowed to contribute at, and to have his retiring allowance computed on, the increased rate of salary. That there be an increase in pensions to widows either through an increase in the contributions of contributors or through a reduction in an officer’s retiring allowance (at his option). That allowances in the nature of salary be regarded as salary for superannuation purposes That the Superannuation Board be empowered to grant additions to allowances (where circumstances warrant) to officers retiring because of medical unfitne-ss. The following were elected as executive officers : —President, Mr R. Sinei: vice-pre-sidents-Messrs S. C. M. Hill (Public Works), J. Jackson (Labour); general trea surer, Mr W. C. Dallard (Board of Trade); Executive Committee —Messrs W. S. Heale (North Auckland), K. M. Graham (Auckland), G. Ward (Waikato), W. N Haire (Hawke’s Bay), S. H. Morrison (Taranaki), A. Burgess (Wanganui), C. M. Hill (Wellington)'. J. G. Smith (Wellington), J. H. TNl‘Kay (Marlborough and Western Samoa), C. E. Parsons (0,1 ago), F. W. Brown (Southland), J. Jackson (Canterbury and South Canterbury), W. H. Phillips (West Coast), F. W. Thompson (Gisborne), F. Mackenzie (Palmerston North), Misses A. M. Palmer (Wellington) and F. E. Woodhouse (Wellington).