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VISIT OF DIRECTOR-GENERAL TO AUSTRALIA. Mr. J. G. Young, Director-General of the Department, accompanied by Mr. T. Paton, Divisional Director, returned from Australia on the 24th December after having attended the Commonwealth Telegraph Conference. The conference, which was sponsored by the Governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Union of South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, and New Zealand, was held for the purpose of dealing with the many communication problems which had arisen as a result of the war. Personal. Mr. W. R. Newall, Deputy Director-General, retired on superannuation on the 31st October on completion of over forty years' service. He was succeeded by Mr. S. A. Ogilvie, Second Deputy DirectorGeneral, who was in turn succeeded by Mr. J. Madden, Divisional Director, General Post Office. Comparative Return of Persons employed in Department. Ist April, Ist April, 1942. 1943. Permanent Staff — Administrative .. .. ■ ■ • • • ■ 17 17 First Division .. .. .. ■ • ■ ■ 4,766 4,683 Second Division .. .. .. •• 6,325 6,593 Junior Assistants .. .. ■ • ■ ■ 752 727 11,860 12,020 Temporary and Casual Staff .. .. .. .. 3, 508 5,576 *15,368 -j-17,596 Non-permanent StaffCountry Postmasters and Telephonists, including Railway officers .. .. .. ■ • • • 1,624 1,622 16,992 19,218 * Includes 3,929 serving with armed forces. t Includes 5,530 serving with armed forces. Officers on War Service. No fewer than 5,530 employees of the Department—s,2B7 permanent officers and 243 temporary employees —have been released for service with the armed forces. It has been necessary for the Department to request exemption of 1,584 employees from service with the armed forces. The majority of the men retained are employed on urgent telegraph and telephone construction work directly connected with the Dominion's war effort. Post Office Honours' List. It is with regret that the following casualties among departmental employees are placed on record : Killed in action, 42 ; died of wounds, 14 ; death officially presumed, 24 ; accidentally killed, 14 ; died from sickness, 5 ; died while prisoner of war, 5 ; deceased (unclassified) 2 ; missing, 48 ; wounded, 110; prisoners of war, 154, a total of 418. Fifteen officers have received decorations for meritorious service and 15 others have been specially mentioned in despatches. Staffing Position. The decision of Government to declare the Department, as from Ist July last, an " essential undertaking " under the National Service Emergency Regulations 1940 had the effect of stabilizing the staffing position to the extent that it enabled a measure of control to be exercised over the resignation of officers. The employment during the year of additional female labour enabled the Department to release further officers for service with the forces. Some four thousand women and girls are now functioning successfully in various departmental capacities. The Department's training scheme by which young officers are assisted to reach proficiency in their duties within a comparatively short period has continued to make a valuable contribution to the staffing problem. Tentative proposals for the rehabilitation of officers returning from service with the forces have been drawn up, and the Rehabilitation Board has expressed gratification with the progress made by the Post Office with its proposals for assisting the men who have had their studies and their practical training interrupted by war service. APPEAL BOARD. Mr. J. A. Gilmour, Stipendiary Magistrate, Wellington, was appointed Chairman of the Post and Telegraph Appeal Board on the 19th May, 1942, in succession to Mr. H. A. Young who had relinquished the position. . Appeals totalling 227 received from 139 officers were adjudicated upon by the Board during the year, with the following results ; Allowed, 8 ; conceded by Department, 1 ; withdrawn, 42 ; did not lie, 13 ; disallowed, 162. In one other case the Appeal Board recommended that the appellant's promotion take effect from the same date as that of the appointee. PROMOTION BOARD AND APPEAL BOARD: POSTPONEMENT OF ELECTION OF SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES. By Order in Council dated the 17th February, 1943, the elections of Service representatives to the Post and Telegraph Promotion Board and to the Post and Telegraph Appeal Board which were due to be held in February and June, 1943, respectively, have been postponed. The Order provides that the next election for an elective member of the Promotion Board shall be held on the third Wednesday in February, 1944, and that for elective members of the Appeal Board on the fourth Wednesday in June, 1944. The terms of office of the present Service representatives on both Boards are extended accordingly

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