STAFF OF NEW DEPARTMENT

Southland Times, Issue 23768, 16 March 1939, Page 4

STAFF OF NEW DEPARTMENT

Administration Of Social Security SENIOR OFFICERS APPOINTED Organization Taking Shape (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, • March' 15. The organization required for the administration of the Government’s social security scheme to come into operation on April 1 is now taking shape. A special department is to be established to administer the scheme and an important phase of the preparatory work involved has been the selection of the necessary staff. Several senior appointments in this department were officially announced today. The personnel of the Social Security Commission and the names of the two principal executive officers under the commission were given out in December. Mr B. F. Waters, at present Assistant Commissioner of Pensions, has been appointed Assistant Director of the Superannuation Branch at the head office of the Social Security Department. Mr H. L. Bockett, Accountant to the Labour Department, has been appointed • Assistant Director of the Unemployment and Sickness Benefit branches. Mr G. O. Hall, accountant to the Justice Department, is to be accountant and the office of chief inspector in the new department has been filled by the appointment of Mr P. Marshall, at present ‘chief clerk in the Employment Division of the Labour Department. The following have been appointed district registrars for the department in the four main cities:— Auckland.—Mr C. Dunn, registrar of pensions, Auckland. Wellington.—Mr A. T. Grandison, district employment officer at Auckland. Christchurch.—Mr A. H. Parfitt, registrar of pensions at Christchurch. Dunedin.—Mr E. A. Selman, district employment officer at Wellington. On the employment promotion and placement side, Mr A. J. Ridler will be controller and Mr J. V. Brennan will be chief clerk at the head office. District employment officers have been appointed as follows:— Auckland.—Mr T. G. Feilder. Wellington.—Mr G. Brennan, Christchurch.—Mr H. L. R. Read. Dunedin.—Mr E. C. J. Foot. As already announced, Mr J. H. Boyes, joint Public Service Commissioner, has been appointed chairman of the Social Security Commission and Dr M. H. Watt, Director-General of Health, a member of the commission. The Social Security Act provides for a commission of not more than three commissioners, but so far only two have been appointed. The principal executive officers under the commission will be Mr J. S. Hunter, Secretary for Labour, and Mr H. Digby Smith, Commissioner of Pensions.

SOUTHLAND OFFICERS STAFF APPOINTMENTS The amalgamation of the staffs of the Pensions Department and the Employment Division of the Labour Department to form the staff to administer the social security scheme has resulted in several new appointments being made. Mr R. A. Fernandez, registrar of pensions at Invercargill, has been appointed registrar in charge of the new department for the Southland district. Mr R. W. Kerr, of Hamilton, has been transferred to Rivertori, where he will act as district agent. Mr W. J. McMillan, district employment officer at Nelson, is to come to Invercargill as district chief clerk, and Mr N. A. Challis, of the staff of the Pensions Department at Invercargill, will be senior clerk in the new office. COMMITTEE SET UP BY LODGE NO DEFINITE INFORMATION IN POSSESSION (United Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, March 15. Because no definite information could be given about the social security legislation, the North Island Grand Lodge Conference of the United Ancient Order of Druids today set up a special emergency committee with full power to act to meet any new situation and to co-operate with the Government in arrangements for operating the benefits of the social security scheme as far as they relate to the sphere covered by the friendly societies. The report of the executive stated that it was impossible to visualize what effect the social security scheme would have on the friendly societies till the complete regulations had been issued. AUCKLAND OFFICERS •IN DEPARTMENT NEW REGISTRAR APPOINTED (Special to The Times) AUCKLAND, March 15. Under the social security scheme, which involves the creation of a new Government department by the merging of the Pensions Department with a portion of the Labour Department, various staff appointments have been made affecting several public service officers in Auckland. The registrar of the new department in Auckland will be Mr C. Dunn, at present registrar of pensions in Auckland. Mr A. T. Grandison, district employment officer of the Labour Department in Auckland, will become' registrar of social security in Wellington and will leave for the purpose of taking up his new duties on Tuesday next.

Mr B. Bell, chief clerk of the Employment Division of the Labour Department in Auckland, will become registrar of social security in Wanganui. Mr N. Geary, now senior clerk in the Pensions Department at Auckland, will become chief clerk in the social security office in Wanganui and Mr H. W. Chambers, at present district employment officer at Dunedin, will be chief clerk in Auckland of the Social Security Department. Mr Durtn, the new registrar in Auckland, was educated at Whangarei and joined the Pensions Department, then attached to the Post and Telegraph Department, in 1911. He saw .service in the Great War with the Canterbury infantry and was wounded at Fontaine. He returned to the Dominion in 1919 and dealt with war pensions in Wellington for six years. He then came

to Auckland as chief clerk and succeeded Mr H Digby Smith in 1929 as registrar of pensions in Auckland. Mr Grandison also saw war service, serving with the 11th Battery as a warrant officer, first class. He joined the Labour Department in Auckland as housing inspector and served in Wellington and Napier before being appointed district inspector of factories at Timaru. In the same year he passed his accountancy examinations. He was transferred a year later to Dunedin. In 1930 he took charge of unemployment work in Dunedin and before becoming employment officer in Auckland he served in the Employment Division in Wellington.