RETIRING AGE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1769, 6 June 1913, Page 5

RETIRING AGE.

/ IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS.

OLD servants dropping out..

"Retiring ago" is a fruitful thomo of disoussion amongst the members of the Public Service at the present timo, the idea having got abroad that departures from that procedure which has been followed for some years in connection with this matter are in prospect. The Publio Service Commissioner (llr. D. Robertson) \!DS interviewed on tho subject. Beyond stating that two officers who had reaohed tho ago limit had been notified that they were to bo retired, and that other retirements were in prospcct, Mr. Robertson was not < communicative. He declined to make known his general policy iii regard to the retirement of officers, stating that this would Bo done in due course when ho made his annual report to Pajliuroent, as required by the Public Service Act. _ • The position as it stands is somewhat open, .and it is the fact Unit a large nmount of discretionary power in regard to retirements is vested in tho Public Service Conunissiouer, that lends interest to the present situation. The Public Borvioe Classification and Superannuation Act and . its amendments prescribe 65 years as the retiring ago, but leave it open to the Government to employ u Civil Servant ,of more advanced age if it desires to do so. In point of fact, a number of officers have been so retained after reaching retiring age. Under the Aot, the Government has power, in oertain cases, to retire an officer at 60 years of age, and one,of the later amendments confers upon 9mcers the right of retiring on superannuation at 40 years of age if-they elect to do so. From fairly extended inquiries made yesterday, it appears to be the general impression that the Public Service Commissioner intends to rigidly enforce tho rule that Civil Servants shall retire at ' 65 years of age, so fnr as most branches of the service are concerned, though possibly this may not apply to some of the lower grades of employees—notably, messengers. With a few reservations of this nature, tho enforcement of retirement' 65 is likely to prove not unpopular in the Ber.vice. It would mean more rapid promotion all along the lino, and would thus be to the advantage of the younger offi- ■ cers. It is stated that tho innovation will affect a considerable number of officers in and out of Wellington, but it is difficult-to arrive at anything liko a pre-, cise estimate. . \

So far as can be ascertained, it is not proposed to vary the present procedure in regard to the completion of forty years' service. It is reported that one Departmental head, who has almost completed forty years' service, but has not reached retiring age, has arranged to retain hia position for a further period of two years. One officer, whose retirement is in imInediate prospect, told a reporter that he did not think anyone would object to the strict enforcement of tho retiring age provisions, provided tho enforcement were Uniform and applied to heads of Departments as well as to officers in lower ' grades. Personally, he added, he and ethers felt it a grievance that they be retired when still in full possession 'of working powers. Retirement, after forty years service operates most severely 1 in ; the case of officers who have gone fairly -high in ■ service, and are in hopes of further preferment. fTho. annual superannuation payment consists of ; one-sixtieth, for each year of service, of the average palary daring the last three years 'of service, provided that the superannuation allowance : shall not'exceed two-thirds of - the average salary. Thus the superannuation allowance of an officer with forty years' service, who had received an average salary during-his. last three years ot employment of .£BOO, 'would bo J2OO. The amending Act of 1909 made tho sum of >6300 a year the maximum retiring allow-, ance attainable by any officer who became' a. contributor after 1908. Retiring Officers, The officers who have so far been noticed of their impending retirement, under the ago- limit provisions of the Act, are Sir. Amelius Smith, secretary to the Superannuation Board, and Mr. D. li. Purdy, second 'clerk of the Income braiich of tie Tax Department. Both officers will ccase duty on September 30, and will have three months' leave of absence on full pay after that date.

•Mr. Amolius M. Smith is one of the best known officers in the Public Servico of Now Zealand. Prior to coming to tho colony in 186t> ho was in the Imperial Army—lßth Hussars. On arrival here he was appointed A.D.C. to the Governor, Sir George Grey, and on the retirement of Sir GeoTga Grey, Captain Smith joined tho ' staff of the new Governor, Sir Georeo Bowen, as A.D.C., which office he held until October, 1870,. when he entered the Colonial Secretary's office. Ho has seen many changes in public life during his long career—notabfy the abolition of the provinces, which alteration in the system of Government entailed a considerable amount of arduous work on the Colonial Secretary's office. As the late Mr. G. S. Cooper; ■"Under-Secretary, was laid asidd by serious illness for some time, much additional duty devolved upon Mr. Smith. Subsequently, Mr. Amolius .Smith was private secretary to several Prime Ministers , \ from the time of Sir John Hall onwards. \ iWhen the Public Service Superannuation' 'Act catao into forco in 1908 he was appointed Secretary, to the Superannuation Board, and has filled that position up to the present day. Mr. Smith's official career has brought him in close contact with the leading events of the history of the colony during the last, fifty years. Mr. D. R. Purdy, second clerk in the Incomo Tax Branch of the Tax Department, entered the Public Servfie in April, 1880. no first joined.the Property Tax Department at Invercargill, and in 1882, when the branch offices were done away with, Mr. Purdy was transferred to tho head office in Wellington, where he has retained ever since.

The United States Steel Corporation has raised tho wages of its employees, the inecrease to aggregate .£2,400,000 a year. Tho benefits apply' most largely to the workmen who receive the lowest daily wages. This "levelling up" by one of the greatest of corpoiyitions should somewhat modify the general belief that corporations are soulless. Messrs. Dalgety and Co., Ltd., will hold a stock sale at Otaki, on Tuesday, Juno JO. The ealo begins at 1 p.m.