9

H.—l4

Stores Tender Board. 50. The Annual Report of the Board m printed in Appendix A. 51. The proposed amendment in the constitution of the Board, referred to in the Fifth Report, has not yet been agreed to by Government. Notwithstanding the conditions arising out of the war, it is thought that the Board's operations might be considerably extended with much benefit. Amendments to General Regulations. 52. During the year the principal amendments made were as follows : — Regulation Be.: In the direction of increasing the amount of overtime paid to certain officers in which the rate was below the amount of their ordinary salary. Regulation 6.1, " Leave of Absence, Temporary Employees " : To empower the Commissioner to grant sick-leave on such conditions as may be determined to temporary employees whose service exceeds one year. Regulation 161 : By amending the conditions of admission to the Public Service in so far as members of the Expeditionary Forces are concerned. Regulation 161 : Further amended to empower the Commissioner to pay such commencing salary as might be determined to officers joining the Public Service as clerical cadets. Regulation 164 : To provide that candidates who pass the Public Service Senior Examination or Matriculation Examination should receive preference over candidates passing the Entrance Examination only. Regulation 178 : In the direction of adding the subjects wood-work and metal-work to the syllabus for .the Public Service Entrance Examination. Regulation 204a, providing for special allowances to shorthand-typists engaged on machine work, was cancelled. Special regulations were made dealing with— The maximum number of Examining Officers in the Customs Department; Examinations for Draughtsmen in the Lands and Survey Department; and Leave of absence to officers of the Tourist and Health Resorts Department. Examinations held during the Year. 53. The examinations conducted during the year under the Public Service Regulations have been the Public Service Entrance Examination, the Public Service Senior Examination, the efficiency examinations in the Post and Telegraph Department, a qualifying examination for promotion to first-grade typists, and examinations for admission of shorth and -writers and typistß. Senior and Entrance Examinations. 54. The Public Service Senior Examination, held between the sth and 19th January last, was conducted under regulations which came into force on the Ist April, 1915. The number of entrants was 270, as compared with 794 for the previous year. Of the 270 admitted at the last examination, 226 actually presented themselves in the examination-room ; and 160 were successful in improving their status, and are now recorded, in conjunction with earlier successes (if any), as having passed as follows : Passed the whole examination, 81 ; gained further success in two or more subjects, 79. 55. The Public Service Entrance Examination was conducted at fifty-one centres between the 21st and 28th November, 1917, under regulations which came into force on the Ist April, 1914. The number of candidates entered was 1,098, as compared with 1,222 for the previous year. Of the total, 1,072 were present at the examination, and 676 passed. The examination was open to all candidates, both boys and girls, who expressed their intention of entering the Public Service if successful. 56. Both the Senior and the Entrance Examinations were conducted by the Education Department by arrangement. The cost was as follows : Public Service Senior, £308 ; Public Service Entrance, £910. ««.

2—H. 14.