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With tribunals, consultative committees, advisory councils, &c., operating in the various Services, it will be seen that the Uniformity Committee is no longer able to exercise its reviewing functions. The position is further complicated by the fact that there are many organizations in existence, virtually as State Deparments, whose conditions o;f employment are not subject to review by the Committee—e.g., Reserve Bank, Bank of New Zealand, Police Force, Waterfront Control Commission, Linen Flax Corporation, &c. It seems inevitable that sooner or later one tribunal will require to be set up for the purpose of introducing and maintaining uniformity of pay and conditions throughout the whole of the State Services. Tasks to be faced Present-day trends, both in New Zealand and overseas, indicate an extension of the activities undertaken by the State. This means that an increasing proportion of the community is employed under conditions of Public Service, and the need for some uniformity in such conditions is obvious. The Public Service of New Zealand, with its ever-widening variety of tasks, must keep abreast of the times. An efficient Public Service must be ready and willing to undertake any tasks that Government imposes upon it, and undertake them efficiently. Certain problems will have to be faced if the Public Service of New Zealand is to measure up fully to the requisite standard in the future. The need for revision of the present Public Service Act and regulations is becoming increasingly apparent. The technique of personnel management has advanced by leaps and bounds since the present Public Service Act was passed in 1912. A review and consolidation of the present legislation affecting the Public Service is a task that must be undertaken before very long. The composition of the staff force that does the clerical work of the Public Service appears to warrant review. There seems little doubt that in the past the use of well-qualified clerical cadets on comparatively routine tasks for long periods has been a wasteful, use of the abilities available. The tradition that a large proportion of the clerical work of Departments should be undertaken by the clerical officer appointed at the cadet stage has been undermined by recent experiences. On the one hand,, less-qualified employees have shown that they are quite competent to handle many of the more stereotyped clerical duties in Departments. In addition, such employees are more reconciled to this class of work than many of the more highly qualified officers, who feel that their progress is being retarded. On the other hand, many of the well-qualified younger officers of the Service have proved in the Armed Forces that they are capable, at an early age, of undertaking considerable responsibility. With proper training, adequate direction, and provision of opportunity many of them, it can be safely assumed, could have undertaken positions of comparable responsibility in •civilian life. This change of attitude is reflected in the report of the Public Service Consultative Committee in its reference to the establishment of a class of employees to be known as " Clerical Assistants." It is proposed in the near future to follow this suggestion with the object of giving higher qualified junior employees an increasing opportunity to take responsibility at an earlier age.

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