HON. J. A. MILLAR'S SON

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1056, 20 February 1911, Page 5

HON. J. A. MILLAR'S SON

;.;: , ;: ;,;; v ;^.^; ; f^.;-; : ;::;V,;::--, : ":■■ :'.>:' i HIS PROMOTION.' '' ' ;BTATEMENT : BY'TnE PREMIER. . ; (Bt Telernph-Preii • Aiioclatloa.l i , '.tf '.. .;'.. Chrlttchurch,'.February 18.'■; ■ This Prime- Minister,'whilst in Christ- ,-'. sau'rch .'yestctdaj",'' ; ,Wcht- fully, into ' the facts.'in ; (f9Jthection,.with the appointment of <a; son of the Hon. J. A. Millar, • Minister for Railways, to the position .of asijstaftt' 1 electrical 'draughtsman l in the ' \>toryJc^.. , '.;.y;~ ; '.'''-•':'.'"•'■'' '..' ' ■■.•■:■'. fjft - ": Joseph''Jfard .stated, that young ,' 'Millar, bad'-been 'in'.the'railway service . for. nitfe, and a* half years 'when ,he had '.....'. obtained leave, of .absence. ,He had: joined ; the' traffib branch; as clerical cadet, qualified' bfmwlf in-station accounts and ■'-.->postal'and■'telegrapliKiyorki and afterwards, obtained a, transfer to,the main- : tipaneo. branch, ; as^ ho ; dcsire'd to apply '■'■ his evenings 'to- 'the study pf .electricity, .:, f^'which "regular:hours 'were essential.After.-' three ■ years': study 'inNew Zea- ' ;- land.''.he'iha'd:; obtained extended leave of '.'- without'pay, fortho •pprpose"; of i ' giiinibg;practical training .in large electrjcal works abroad. Ho had.spent two years" and'three months in practical work in'one of the largest electrical engineer- .-', Jug; establishments in' Britain, and.had rtiturned by. way of America and Canada; wherVhe had availed'himself-of the op. portunity'of .going through other large 1 works; and seeing with*a",practical eye the*methods'adopted ( there. = " :'■■;. .' '.'Had MK Millar'been contcnt'to remain New. Zealand, (Sir Joseph Ward continued) and followed the' occupation of a ■ ■<■;■ railway clerk, performing his duties'with•out displaying more than) theJavcrage in- , telligence- and' ability, he would automatically,' have received the ordinary chs- . aincation. increases annually, and his sal- / «y.'as' a -clerk< on the day.he resumed .. duty, -would l)avo been wEI9O and JC2OQ from, April' /1 / next.;; '.-He bad.. been - promoted .from; the,'lowest'class in thetdivision— one '.wliiclr"carri«d.>.a :< minimum salary of •££oo,-'obtainable; by- anyone .without spe-'cinl-training or'qualification—to thenext . highest class, carrying a minimum salary of .£2lO, and a'maximum'of JC22O. ~ 'Aparti altogether from' the araourit of money spent in'ituitlon-in New Zealand, ; for over three years prior to leaving for Enclahd,: young Millar, in- furtherance •-■■• cf ms idesirc to 'qualify for- the position ..;■ he now;occnpipd.liad.forfeited-over JC4SO ..'f.jin Salary,-besides.having to expend sev-eral-hundreds, in, tho payment of travelling- expenses, board, and special fees for instruction;'; besides - other •: contingencies during his two and a half years'-ab-sence. 'After all this expenditure' he was ..' at" present iln a-position ".which' gave.a -••.salary that wasjat tho very most, .£2O ■ ;> more, than he '.'would r have had as an or- ■'■.- ,'oihary railway clerk or stationraaster at /•the smallest (country •station. > ■■' ~lt.,was an, everyday., occurrence.. (the Prime Minister continued) to promote men who had specially qualified themselves from ,a lower to a'higher grade. Such" men were placed at the bottom of the cltss into.which they wero promoted, •and their further advancement in the service, depended entirely on the requirements of the Department, and the pro- . .ficicncy of tho members concerned. Tor years past tho regulations of the Department had affirmed the "principle,- and pro- ■ -.- tided the .machinery for giving efficient . - .members, or those "with special qualifications, some advantages over tho non-effi- . or less qualified; Cadets were encouraged to learn shorthand by a provi- ' , «ion thaHt should.count for six months' service if they passed the junior civil : service examination, and twelve months' if-they passed the senior examination. It was thus possible for a cadet with ; three and a half years': service to be apMinted to a clerkship if he passed the tlirco examinations, and ho would therefore supersede a largo number of others • who were senior in service, but were too indifferent to make an effort to improve themselves, or, at any rate, avail tbemedves of the opportunities which pre- • i. v '-»nted.themselves. Surely it was.not unreasonable .to follow. the principle and practice in a case where, tho'person concerned had .qunlificd' himself at considerable" expense for' something more than a clerical position.''Mr. Millar's total scrtice was twelve and a half years.