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Comparative Return of Persons employed in the Department 31st March, 31st March, Permanent staff — 1946. 1947. Administrative .. .. .. .. .. 19 18 First Division .. .. .. .. .. 4,189 4,796 Second Division .. .. .. .. .. 7,314 6,717 11,522 11,52kTemporary and casual staff .. .. .. .. 4,225 3,916 *15,747 f15,447 Non-classified and non-permanent staff — Country" postmasters and telephonists, including Railway officers .. .. .. .. .. 1,548 1,505 17,295 16,952 * Includes 1,901 serving with Armed Forces. | Includes 385 serving with Armed Forces. Health of Permanent Staff The compilation of statistics covering the incidence of sick-leave taken by members •of the permanent staff was discontinued after the year ended the 31st March, 1941, for the duration of the war. The following table shows, in comparison with the figures for the year- ended the 31st March, 1941, the average number of days on which officers were absent on sick-leave during the year under review : , T , Average Absence Average Absence Number on for e 6 ach Sick for each Officer Year ended 31st March, 1947 otatt. Officer. employed. Men .. .. .. 9,802 13-69 7-85 Women .. .. .. 1,485 13-9 9-85 Year ended 31st March, 1941 — Men .. .. .. 9,521 11-42 5-68 Women .. .. .. 959 12-69 7-48 It is recorded with regret that 21 officers died during the year. Officers serving with the Armed Forces As at the 31st March, 116 employees were serving with the New Zealand Forces in Japan and enlistments for the 1947 replacement draft were proceeding. In addition, 16 employees were serving in the Navy, 90 in the Army, and 163 in the Royal New Zealand Air Force on an interim basis. It is expected that these men will be either absorbed into the permanent Forces or released at an early date to return to civil •employment. Staffing Position The difficult man-power situation throughout the country is being reflected in the Department's general staffing position, which, over the past year, has somewhat ■deteriorated. Resignations from both permanent and temporary employees are heavy, .and, in consequence, a good deal of difficulty is experienced in maintaining staffs at sufficient strength to ensure that service to the public is kept at a reasonably high standard. Every avenue is being explored with a view to recruiting new employees. The heavy demands in industry for juvenile labour and the raising of the school leaving age .are important factors affecting a continuance of the pre-war basis of staffing when a staff pool was formed of lads who entered the Service on leaving school. In order to offset the dearth of juvenile labour and, at the same time, to enable the Department to play its part in the general rehabilitation scheme, employment in certain branches is being offered to returned servicemen.

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