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STAFF On 31st March, 1948, the total staff was 3,422, comprising 2,016 permanent and 1,406 temporary officers. Further temporary staff have been given permanent status and at 31st March, 1949, the corresponding total was 3,573, made up of permanent 3,124, temporary 449, an over-all increase of 151 over the previous year. This is partly accounted for by the transfer of the Civil Design Section of the State Hydro-electric Department to the Ministry of Works under the immediate control of Mr. C. W. 0. Turner, who was appointed Assistant Engineer-in-Chief in charge of hydro-electric design and construction. Seventy officers were involved in this transfer. To alleviate the shortage of technical staff, engineers, architects, and draughtsmen have been recruited from the United Kingdom. Several have already commenced duty and others are on the way. Following the merger of the Ministry and the Public Works Department, Mr. S. Roberts was appointed to the newly created position of Chief Administrative Officer. While Mr. McKillop was overseas, Mr. F. Langbein, Engineer-in-Chief, acted as Commissioner of Works. Mr. R. B. Hammond was appointed Director of Housing Construction, succeeding Mr. G. W. Albertson, who had retired during the previous year. Mr. R. H. Packwood, District Commissioner of Works, Auckland, Mr. E. F. Evans, District Engineer, Christchurch, Mr. L. May, Resident Engineer, Whangarei, Mr. R. H. P. Ronayne, Resident Engineer, Tauranga, and the Assistant Government Architect, Mr. G. F. Penlington, all retired on superannuation during the year. Senior clerical officers who retired were Mr. H. S. Hills, Chief Clerk, Head Office, and Mr. H. G. Priestly, Chief Clerk of the Housing Construction Division. It is regretted that Mr. Evans was forced to relinquish his duties owing to ill health. I desire to place on record my own and the Government's appreciation of the very loyal and efficient service rendered by these officers. It is with regret that in this year's report is recorded the deaths of Mr. A. Dinnie and Mr. G. P. Anderson. The late Mr. Dinnie, who at the time of his retirement in April, 1947, was District Engineer, Napier, held during his long service several important posts, including Engineer in Charge of the Otira Tunnel and the Arapuni power scheme construction. Mr. Anderson was one of the first engineers to be posted to the Hydroelectric Branch of the Public Works Department and was for a long period responsible for numerous important investigations on which the design and construction of some of our major hydro-electric schemes were based. The Government records its deep appreciation of their valued services, and the deep sympathy already conveyed to their relatives is now recorded in this annual statement. ORGANIZATION The Government's decision to amalgamate the Ministry of Works and the Public Works Department under the Commissioner of Works as Permanent Head has been further implemented by the creation of a new position, that of Chief Administrative Officer charged with the direction and co-ordination of the administrative work of the Ministry. Since then steps have been taken to amalgamate or otherwise reorganize various branches of the Department to enable them to function more efficiently and to co-ordinate and facilitate their work. Examples are the placing of all engineering and architectural staffs of both the Public Works and Housing Divisions under the Engineer-in-Chief and Government Architect respectively, the amalgamation of the land-purchase staffs of both Divisions under the immediate control of the Chief Land Purchase Officer, and the transfer of the Civil Engineering Design Staff from the State Hydro-electric Department to the Ministry of Works.

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