THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16772, 11 October 1928, Page 12

THE PUBLIC SERVICE

EXAMINATION AND INCREMENTS NOT WHOLLY SATISFACTORY “While the practice of granting seniority or double increments affords encouragement, to an officer to pass an examination, experience lias shown that the practice is not altogether a satisfactory one,” says the Public Service Commissioner, Air. P, Verschaffelt, in his annual report, presented to Parliament this week. “It is at present under consideration that the granting of seniority or double increments for the passing of examinations should be done away with, and instead a provision be made to grant a payment in addition to salary to officers who are, considered to be of outstanding merit and ability, the passing of the examinations referred to be taken into consideration in deciding the question of merit and ability.” INCREMENT OX SPECIAL REPORT Mr. Versliaffelt also makes some observations concerning increases in salary m the service. He says that recognition of an officer's increase in value arising from his experience is provided through a system of annual increments in accordance with the salary scales provided. The granting of such increments within a class is, practically automatic, subject only to the. condition that the. officer’s work and conduct are satisfactory and provision is contained in the Public Service Act that the head of a department may withhold the increment of an officer where he considers such a course warranted.

JMr. Verschaffelt is of opinion however, particularly in regard to junior officers, that the automatic provision should lie discontinued ami instead that an increment should not he granted unless .a special report, has been furnished on the officer by bis local controlling officer or iho head of the department that the granting of an increment is fully justi tied by the regularity of his attendance and the careful, diligent and efficient manner in which he is performing his duties.

An officer who is of outstanding merit and ability and of good and diligent conduct, and who meritoriously performs duties of a character not usually performed by an officer .of his status, may bo granted an increment in excess of that to which ho would be entitled under tho scale. This provision is fully availed of. Special increments are granted only after full investigation and not until the Commissioner is satisfied that the additional increments are fully justi ““LAST SESSION’S AMENDMENT

The report also states 1 hat one of the most important matters affecting the public service 1 since the last, report is the amendment, to the Public Service Act, 1912, by the Public Service Amendment Act, 1927. The main provisions of the amending Act were in the direction oi securing greater service including those not under the Public Service Act, par ticularlv in regard to promotions and transfers within the service and matters relating to the constitution of appeal boards and the rights of appeal of officers. It is confidently expected that the amending Act will facilitate the administration of the Public Service, particularly in regard to the matter of promotions, appeals by officers and complaints and charges against, officers. For some time the rule followed in respect of retirements is that an officer with 40 years’ service, on reaching 60 years of age, shall be retired, and this practice is being continued except where there are special reasons whv the services oi an officer should be retained.