CIVIL SERVICE RETRENCHMENT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 524, 3 June 1909, Page 5

CIVIL SERVICE RETRENCHMENT.

THE POSITION IN AUCKLAND. IST T2I,iGI{ArH.—BTJtCtAL R(iiUti:si"iNiißtnM m Auckland, Juno 2. Up to tho present wo have not felt tho effects of tho retrenchment Echomo to any extent in Auckland," said an officer of tho Auckland Agricultural Department, "and we do not s6o 'how any retrenchment can bo carried out, since for somo time past wo have been/asking for assistance in tho local office, which is very much undor-stalfod. : Somo of our higher paid servants have been transferred from Auckland to ■Wellington during the past couplo of years, and their places havo boon taken by juniors, so that unless tho Government decides to do aw&y with some of its branches, such as those brought into force under tho Noxious Weeds Act or Dairy Inspection Act, it is quite impossible to lessen the staffs of the Agricultural Department in Auckland," "It is not what wo havo suffered, but what wo may havo to suffer," said another leading civil servant whon questioned upon the subject. . "So far wo havo not had measured out to us the drastio treatment experienced in 'Wollington, and I don't see how the Government can do it here, unless they do away with somo of tho Departments altogether. It is tho suspense of officers in such Departments as may bo amalgamated that wo navo to complain about. This suspense has been prolonged since March last, and it would nave boon better for all concerned if tho Government had made a definite statement as to what it would do in tho mattor of retrenchment before making any announcement at all. Possibly somo of thosq Auckland civil servants over 80 years o'f ago will bo retired on pensions, and those who havo not been, in the service five years, and cannot consider themselves .permanents, may feel some suspense as to their future, but otherwise! do not see how tho Government can possibly retrench in Auckland unless it is by the amalgamation or obliteration of certain Departments."