MERIT ONLY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2116, 6 April 1914, Page 5

MERIT ONLY.

.—-——— IN TEE PUBLIC SERVICE, SHIRKER'S DAY DONE, ffly Telegraph.—Press .AsßO'oltttiwy 'BHristchurcb, April 5. llift annual dinner of the Canterbury Branch of the l'ttblic. Sci'vice Association was held last night. A largo .gathering was present, including tho iion. , J'-, Hordm.au., Minister of Justice, and Jlr % D, lleberison, Public Service v-onvmissioiier; In_ proposing the toast of tho Public oervice Association Mr. Jlordtium bo id Stat ho rccagnisod that tho association was of value both to Ministers and to Jie t-ojuniissionei's and he believed in the rsghts of inen to ohjb together for toeir OT-n protection, t'lie Public Seryico Board, lie. west cm to say, had been in full operation only for some uv-o months, hut ho believed that it had beoii of benefit to the .Service as a wlioie. riiis .siw»;ss he attributed lankly. to the tact and. wisdom of the Gainmtssioner and his assistants, It was a source of satisfaction to tho Governmcut tlio.t ofifCGts had oliargo. He anted the Service to iiwderstiiiid, in connection with the future, that tho UoVerproeHt had two matters to consider: First the Government had to conRl ' ler interests of tilio peoiile. and See&'idly t};«y had to consider the interests of Civil Servants. They had to make certain that- the public had a com" Potent army of officials and, next,. they had to see that these men worked under tie best conditions. It was rcwjrmsed tfctt it was a .matter of difficulty for MMsters to act with perfect jus.fe to lublic Servants, and that itAftis'boUor TvS'iV,? 3 ? %J#st UhcvU t! ! t V sh l i ir'°, ,: - s :?v eKperiKfliofi n;e». who : were 'able to 'hear the burden.". That metM was not- new; it had. been tried A the .botmof one "uovcnirawit to sob that every nian • fail* play; -aJiil 'it. was not iikeiy that they would .get this if Ministers had an unfettered control of appointments. The aetr s.tyie liatl. been (lesigjied to make political iniluciice iinpuasible. 'I he sciiemo at ni'osent might Mt be .perfect, but amendments in tho direction .of i;-,proving it would bo made trom time to time. Bo WSg .satisfied., nowever, mat. a system which provided for merit and -ability, ias'.ead of influen.ee, was f<) he- preferred to any other. m Mwved that- the conditions of the ■Service s'liro Mia Act ttf 191$ had been passed had improved. Ef» also .referred to tho esoellejice of £h(i Service in Now /ex:i;rnrl, and added that, with vtv few exceptions., every; Civil' Servant that Ira had wme m contact with had deno ]i& : level best to help him. Tiie day of the siurKer, Mr. Serdniau coutiitiie'd. ivas (joiie forevw.

Mr. G, Ailpert, Canterbury. renrescriJ sll the Executive, in Wellington, respoiufel to the tqasfc. jf:o ap'Reftled to tne Lomsnrssiwiers to cjea! with nil ap jje.lts m a broad spirit, because offiefcrs who appealed were not. ailenred to have solicitors fa) represent them. , M j* renhins to the toast ot Jhe Coiwwssioßers," said tlmt 00 sntendoti to do no hair-split! inn, Jp regard to classification nil thai, he Jiarj to do was to obey the law, but the number of appeals forward jsnte 110 ground tor rear. In every classification scheme a certain numnar of appeals we.ro inevitable. If he remained in office ]j<» j„. tended to improve- the thssijiieatioii. in the lower .Brad®, until tlm best, conditions wore reached. At the same time there must ho softO .sive-and-kfco Oil the part of the officers.