THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 890, 9 August 1910, Page 6

THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

CLASSIFYING TO BE EXPEDITED. THE STATE AND SUPERANNUATION. Several important matters affecting the officials in the Public Scrvieo wore brought under the notice of the Primo Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) by members of the executive of the New Zealand Civil Service Association yesterday. Mr. G. Allport (president of the association) said that the point on which the executive laid most stress was the question of classification. Ever sinco the passing of the Act of 1907 members of the servico had been anxiously looking forward to their classification. It was hoped that the Governfnent would ho able to have the scheme brought into operation at an early date. There had been a good deal of unrest and anxiety among officers, who felt uncertain as to their salaries and prospects of future increases, which would be set at rest wore the scheme put in operation. Then, again, the Act at present provided for the hearing of appeals by the Classification Board. It was ielt, however, that it would bo better i'or all concerned if an independent board could be set up to hear all appeals from the decisions of tlie Classification Board. It a board were sot up consisting of -a Judge of the Supreme Court or Arbitration Court, the permanent head of the Department in which the appealing officer was employed, and an elected representative of that Department, it would give satisfaction and command general confidence. It was next urged that eontnbutions to tho Superannuation Fund might fairly be regarded in tho same way as payments 011 life insurance policies, which up to a certain amount were exempt from income tux. A change was also dusired in respect to those officers who were provided with houso allowance or allowance for board and lodging. At present such allowances were deducted irom .salaries, the result being a decrease in superannuation when men retired. This was felt to bo unfair, and to get over it the association suggested that the men might be charged for their houses or board, and get an increase of salary to a corresponding amount. ' This would not mean any increased burden • upon the public funds, but it would enable officers tu obtain the full superannuation to which they felt themselves to be entitled. At present an officer /living in his own houso was placed in a much more favourable position. 'Mr. F. S. I'ope '(Secretary of Agriculture) drew particular attention to a disability under which the ordinary cadet laboured as compared with a man who joined the service as a temporary clerk and' subsequently became permanent. A cadet had to pass tho senior civil service examination before ho could obtain a salary over ,£2OO, but tho other man did not have to' do so.- The deputation did not suggest that the examination should bo done away with, but felt strongly that something should bo done to place the cadets on at. least as favourable a position as those who joined as temporary hands. His own suggestion would be that' the necessity , for passing the examination should be relaxed as long as the temporary men wore in the field. It was also urged that all newbuildings, and, as far ns possible, existing ones as well, should contain some room where officers could meet in the evening for social purposes. Tho Primo Minister (in reply) said that owing to the iiecessity of making alterations in the service a short timo ago the work in regard to classification had to a very large extent been minimised and a great den) of what hod been done, had to' be recast altogether. Tho Government was convinced that tho existing board was too largo and it had already taken steps to secure a reduction in its membership, probably to' fivp or three. It was proposed that it should ' work on right through the recess and have, its report ready, for Parliament next session. He was not quite sure that it would bfc desirable to accede to the'request for an independent. Appeal Board. It would practically mean putting into the hands of every officer power to appeal against what»v er the Classification Board did. He did not want, to have two boards set up to givo effect to the same proposal unless there was some very clear-cut, definition as to the nature of appeals. The superannuation fund contributions were.not in quite the same position as life insurance payments. -Life insurance was for a definite amount, but in the other case it was for an annual recurring amount upon a wry liberal scale. The suggestion practically was that there should be another contribution from the State towards the superannuation system, and it would have to be very caVefully considered before anything was' done with it. Neither could he give an off-hand answer to the request in connection with house and lodging ' allowances, for first he would have to ascertain what it would mean, and get a return on the whole cost. If it was going to mean the paynvent of another ,£10,01)0 by the State, it 'would have to he refused. He was going to ask Parliament to limit' all .futuro 'superannuation, and it was no. .good looking round to see how much more could be put upon the fund under existing conditions'. The request in connection with the' cadets and temporary clerks, if granted, would mean the annihilation of age as between a boy and a man. The only way 110 could see out of the difficulty would be to say that in future temporary clerks should not l>e appointed as permanent hands at all, but that, ;he feared, would in practice be found impossible. The conditions as to selection of tho cadets by examination were absolutely essential for tile preservation of a good standard. Tho request for the provision of social rooms was reasonable, and would ba granted as far as possible.