THE CIVIL SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 523, 2 June 1909, Page 8

THE CIVIL SERVICE.

f V ;^ : PROGRESS OF 'RETIIENCHMENT. : HEALTH, AND PRI^TINC f:;'X;:; : <^ r; ' ; /sAVII^:OF■ : RENT; V "-. '<'.:'■<':■'■;■ Out of a ■; staff; of 'twenty-five'frssmbers in < : ;l '.:?tho 'Electoral Department, fourteen have re- ■-•/'■. oeived notice ithat their services will ■' not ;bo .i" required, after the end of August. •: The, .'-. . amalgamation,of ithis Department with that 'i,;;:.of .the: Registrar-General is .only, partly re-- ;'".,'. sponsible,..it 'is .stated, forthe i reduction; of ;, ;. 3taff. .With of one man,, who is said toVbo aiporinanont of eight ;i; \years I ,'standing in tho service, and who has ~: : :.a ■ family to '.keep, .all-'of.,tho, dismissed..men /':■,'. are of ,tho .temporary'class. : .'Apart from, 'amalgamation or retrenchment, many of them would have been dismissed, it is stated, on .■V.the 'completion, ! of: the'year's; issue of the ■■'■} ■', eleqtoralroll, whioh''is expected'to be out of handby tho end of. August. Before : thees-, !■•■•"■ tablishment of the Department 'in 1905, the' '■■■■■'■ electoral roll for each district! was printed -.-.;■ «| that .electorate. .-Now the rolls for 'all . Igo 76 electorates: are prepared by the Depart- ,.; ment,-.' and'.printed -/.by. / the;. Government .'., Printing Office.; .The. rolls are; revised every ■r ,' year,, 'and ..a considerable number of .extra : -', clerks are taken on annually for the purpose ...of that revision,;and dismissed on its conclusion.'. Last'•'year, when the. rolls rifcre being prepared for, the goneral election, an ", unusually largo number of temporary clerks ~ ..were 'engaged for the work, and the number ':'•'■ , dismissed...- when-' -it'./was :; finished '.'was. ■■.;" rather:,' greater: ,'than, the .Jnumber ,'.whose' .':services, are. now,.being dispensed ...with,, ..-■',' for,:./.the;, .joint of;lamalgamatipn ;. : and.prdspectivd.roll completion.."Most of tho :men. who are now being retired have been' only',a ; .few- months 'with :the Department. . Among,them is' a considerable proportion .of: :.-;'. married men. -,■/;,: v,,: ~•.■■/■• ~•■..■'•. ':■'::.-'. . It is'understood that there is.no room for' "■;,'.■. any ■ reductioni."of ■ staff in ' the.-Registrar- : General's Department. ;'''"■■ '/ >U- Health^Department.' ';.':'■ Seven or eight olerks in the head office and, •:.--; Jaboratory"of ;the'Health Department,' and a. ■ ■..'. messenger, have" received ■■ three months' no- ;. tioe ':of -tho termination" of'.their services. .' 'Amorig.thorn is the chief ckrk of the Depart-' ; ment,; Mr. J. J. D. Grix; a 'very popular ,; officer,-who has been .31. years in the 1 Go- ':' vernment';service, having.been,records clerk in the Marino Department before joining Dr. ~; .Maspn's' staff. ..•';."Mr. Grix. is entitled to an , amount : of , compensation under one of-the ,1 '■ older' Acts, which will leave .him no necessity'\y foir anxiety as'regards the. immediate future. '.'.Mr. H: : 'Eas^ato,'.accountant, is transferred '■;■; to the' Andit, Department. ,odo cadet; baa ::.;' been transferred to another Department, and :,;.' a-secondj. foreseeing'.trouble, has 'resigned ';' -:; from ; the ;■ Service to .enter private business. •■:." None of,the girls:in;the Department are'so, far affected by but it is ©x- .; pected that. some them will. be transferred.' ■] ..:/■ .Some .dissatisfaction "has been, expressed • .; tiver the fact that although a number of the :;.:,Wmpprary.clerks—married.men with families," , ■ .somo of them; —have ! been given notice of dismissal in the Land and Income Tax '.'Depart- ;,': ment, quito .a . number of'female employees, //holding, temporary, .positions' . retained.' ',It is contended that if ■ ■; the'pruning knifevis, to be applied at all.it :;' should;have regard to the cohseqnehoes of tho ,;.'oporatiqh, and that:raarried men with f,ami:';■■;.;'lies should.be,given whatever/preference it is C-f: possible, iunder the; .to iextend." ■ 'Printing Office; •"',' • "-i.';' Three jnembers;of the staff of the Govern- ■■■. ment Printing, Office have been retired, with :i' ; ' three months'; leave;of. absence' as ;from yes- ',-.' terday:'• /Mr./ W..: Franklin, ;ovorseer of the ' /; binding-room, tiie Department ' ;in j1875, Ss' amongst the; number Mr.' : ' Frank-, '; /. lin. is .'al .Very. capable. officer, whose depar- ; /; ,ture':is'regrettedby'the;remaining:,staff. He ;,-'.. willibe'6s/'years'old in a few months. The ■"■"'■ otherlvictims 'of ".retrenchment'.'are''Messrs. ; N. ,B.' K.; Ma'nley ;and F. who ■.joined: the Departanent'in 1886, and 1879 ire-' \[ /)p;;.'/ : /:: : /■'•<-''■.?"■•':;■.■) .•!'.■.• f:X "V;/ ; Land, and Income.Tax Department;had\been '. .transferred to'the Printing Offices proves to / , be mcbrrect./'This; destination"was proposed -:. for;themj'but at the. last.momentjit: was dis- ,/: covered : thafc ; they : :could'not/bo.■conveniently, - -plaoedim/the/Printing Office,;andit'is;exj "pected vthat;positions in somo.other Dopartr. • ment- will:bo found/for them.' During the '/last twoiyearg'.theVataff of-'^the'Printing;of; .:/fice.-has;'been:unusually'/large.:owing' ; to 'tho' : ,;-.'■. *xtra'wbrk:ontaile'd;in'tho,oomp]etion of ,iie ; , Consolidatod;Statutes and other;productions.' - : If there is ah interrupted session this; year, • the'/work/of -the Department -irill: be;':/ab- :, r ,::normal]y;Ught inrthe.absence, of Parliament-. '- ary pressure.-jit is not expected,:;howeveri ■•'■ that more men: will .be dismissed in the .■"' 'Frin&g'Pffice.;'jusi/Bt''preseiit:-.'.'.''" "'•;/':.':■ ; -' : ,Qtiißr;:Departmonts. v J ; The analytical, branches .attached, to ;thei ; : Public/Health, Agricultural,./ Mines, ■ and' .;,:' Customs Departments are to be combinedun- ■ I der Dr; :Maclaufin;;..Colpnial 'Analyst,' a .'stop '; .which'wilLpermit-of further'staff reduction.' ' .; ;Mr; T./W] CaverhiU, district valuer; retires ; ;,,oh.superanhuation : under the 'retrenchment ./'■' scheme.'-' .:.'.:.': : ..■■"■:'''' ''■•■':•■• ; ; : ,i. ,; ':^;;./..-.■ .;./.,, i', It. i?, ; undersiood that there; will be no fe- .-..■ 'ductioh .-.pf 'staff - in"; the Post'. and ''Telegraph ~'. Department, .'which is even: able' tio absorb a ■,■'; considerable.number of .new:cadets./:'.:'./.;,,/ . .':■'■ A Press Association message 'from Dunedin .';■ statesthat several inrthe local branch ■; of: the Land Yaluation Department' received notice' yesterday:- that -their.^services' are.to be ' ; : : disponsed,:with. ~'iv.f;'■;?:,*/v /;://:' : :' .•. : ; : v-f'. /'j.'-' : /v : ;'^/: : />/; ,; 8avlng of Rent.,',.! ,: .Itiis .expected that a large 'annual _saving .•; will,:be;'eftected*by' the 'Government in- ,re- ;■'■ 'spect-.dfioffice 'rental."-v-Tho Electoral :" and: -, /y.Health'Departments :have ./vacated;"rented premises for tho.new Publio'; Trust /.''Office building, /and "it. 'is,.suggested _that the;' rab- - sorption.of, th^':Old.' Age Pensions in :.;,th'6' -/-Postal Department willenabld a large amount:' ■•.•'■.; of pensions business : throughout the pomin- ;: ion to be. transacted in post offices, instead , of in special buildings; 'Other amalgamations ■ •■'■'■ are, likely, to ? have /a similar, .effeqt.' ".