TEMPORARY CLERKS' BILL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1908, 17 November 1913, Page 9

TEMPORARY CLERKS' BILL.

Sir,—l trust that Wellington members of Parliament will at once ask tho Priliio Minister .to postpone tho isccpii'd' reading -of this Bill for a low day.S|, v iii» Stead of taking that, and perhaps the remaining stages, to-night (Monday). If this short dblay ;i4 .pot arr.aiige.il, a gfavfl injustico is likely to bo done to many '"temporary" clerks. Briefly) the .position is this. j>om'o mouths ago the Government promised to bring iii a, Bill to safeguard this posi»WiT of many cleiksj who, after considerable periods of continuous servico, wore threatened with tlio loss .(if their jobs on December 31. Soon after tho giving &f this promise* a number of th.oiii received' notice of clLsniißfiul for ■Bept'eni'b® 30. This would have excluded that section of the whole, body from, nil chance of benefiting by the intended Bill. To obviate this hardship, the Commissioner theli agl'ecd to cancel these notices, and tp (Stbiitl tliei. tiino all clerks, employed on. September !)0, until December .31, of course, in tho belief that the Bill would hiivo boconVo law by the latter date. ■

• Wcil-lyiown causoS' have. > now compelled the Government- reluctantly to postpone tlio Bill until .next year;' - And theßill first mentioned in this letter .is designed to protect, tlio clerks meantime. It is intended.to put- them in Uio same position in regard to next .vear s Hill as tliey linvc.been in regard, to tlw now postponed Bill of this year. It does not -appear-to do BOr On (lie contrary, -its effect- will lie. that ho temporary clerk will lie sum of his iob after December 31 next. And by the time '■next year's Hill takes effect, probably fciv of tlio I2G clerks now serving will li.n.vo. survived. Thus, through no fault of theirs, they will be ponalisnd disastrously by the unavoidable postponed ment of the intended Bill. Many, of them are too old to get outside employment:, and not a few have little or lib private means'.. '

It may bo said that Sections 3.-, and 4 uf the flow Bill pro feet tlio clerks. Doubtless- they could; be made to do so, hilt ilioy don't. Section -S is purely permissive. It is not .mandatory on tlie (Joiunussiouel'i but leaves. ajl power iii ■Iris hniidrf r and \vliat the 'regul'aticiiis undor Section 4 will contain no clerk know s, or will have any opportunity of knowing until they are. gazetted. Tiro truo remedy is th ,suspend th& operation of Section 45 of tlio Public Service Atft, .so. far as these 12G clerks, are concerned;, a.iitl to extend their. 1 . employment front December 3,1 until, the, passing of next y.e»r]s Act,., when those of them who qualify under its provisions will'obtain permanent security of tenure. I think thn.t I have said more, than enough to shoiv that this" little Bill requires fuller consideration than, it will get if it ii put through, to-night.—J am, etc., liONG SERVICE.