WAR AGAINST TESTIMONIALS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 112, 19 January 1940, Page 4

WAR AGAINST TESTIMONIALS

MR A. C. FAIRHURST, writing in "Local Government Service" considers that a matter calling for reform is the practice of demanding: testimonials from candidates for new positions. What is the valueof it? Often, testimonials receive no attention from committees and the time and trouble taken both by applicants and referees is wasted. At a recent interview, five officers had references from their chiefs and chairmen, but the sixth candidate produced one from a cabinet minister unconnected with the local government •qf Ithe area. It is the boast of local government officers that they remain aloof from politics, but surely seeking the suppdrt of a "big name" in politics is equal to political string-pulling. How many testimonials given by chairmen are written by heads of departments? The average testimonial signed by a chairman is a puerile affair, and often it is given without the referee having any intimate knowledge pf the candidate. In effect,, every authority dupes every other, and since all candidates submit good testimonials,, the business is farcical. Let us stop this self deception, and adopt a simple form of certification. For chief officials I suggest a certificate signed by the/ mayor or chairman of the council, for other officers, certificates signed by their chiefs. The certificate would simply state the offices held by the individuals concerned and the length of time they had held them. They would abolish the scandal of giving good testimonials to inefficient officers in the hope of getting rid of them.