WOMEN IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2157, 25 May 1914, Page 3

WOMEN IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE

QUESTION OF PAY

ME REGULATION MAXIMUM

The current issue of ihc "Public Ser- ! vice. Journal" contains a letter from a correspondent signing herself "Woman J Clerk," in which a strong pica is ad- j vanced Snt some s;)e<:iaj organisation to j protect their especial interests. According "to a ret'eiitly-isazetted regulation, j says tlte writer, a, female ufflcer who en- ] tcred the service h* t\u> order of passing the entrance examination, and whose salary does not already exorcd £220;. is' ■ not to receive ntore. thaji that amount. 1! I do not wish to draw comparison' between the ability and efficiency of j men and wmen clerks, or to raise the cry of 'equal frork. equal pay," Says the writer, "I merely wish to ask for the possible reason for the gazetting of this regulation. As the regulations existed before, -no man or woman could to* ceive a salary exceeding this maximum tailless lie or she showed the required ability and was performing duties regarded as meriting a higher remuneration. It- cannot, therefore, be es the grounds of limited or lacking capability on the part of women that the regulation has been framed. I find it hard to suggest any other feasible reason for this differentiation between men and women employees. "The fact remains that on behalf of the women in the Service whom wo believe are capable of earning a higher salary and who are, apparently, in danger of bcins passed cn'er merely on account (if their s<sx, something must be dorto. It h net likely that the executive '.sf the association, will be very inspired to take up \vhat is entirely a women's cause unless it receives seine impetus from jt-be women officers ns a whole, I wish to ask if it would be possible to amend the regulations of tie association making 'sectional representation allowable to the extent that the women of the Public Service might have a re presentative on the executive. If this cannot be done I would suggest as a poorer alternative the forming of a. Wβmen's association of some kind that could place its opinions and requirements before the main executive , . The Association's Attitude. In an article dealing- with the letter the editor of the- "Public Service- Journal" remarks tlsat it rakes questions of considerable interest. "The iclaim for special representation of female members of *tbi association," ho goes en to state, "affurds us -an orjpommUy- to direct attention to the- objects of-tho associatioM, as described in the rules, viz., to promote the general welfare of its members, by any means not inconsistent with the Public Service Act, 1912, er any amendment thereof'; to be the official channel of eotiiartmication between the Public Service as a body and the Government, and the Public Service Commissioner respectively.. "So far o.s w« are aware, no distinction lias been made by tho executive between iiialc aiic? female officers in the application of the rules, »or has any complaint been made of refusal or neglect to consider any case referred to that body. The. grievance ventilated by our covresjKmdent has not been brought, before the executive through the prescribed channel, that of the Departmental representative. If this action is taken we do not think the fears es-

pressed will ht> jvoitificd; on the contrary, we believe that the cause will bo advocated earnestly, and'with the added enthusiasm which tlie spirit of chivalry inspires. . ■ "Ti>e question of special representation for a section of the Service has already been raised in another direction, and very properly deprecated as unnecessary and .'undesirable. The organisation of tho association provides that every member i* represented on a sectional coßihuttoe of Departmental representatives, and through that committee on the executive. An officer or group of officers may individually or cotlceliveiy ■ refer any question to their sectional committee through their Departmental representative, and tf the case is deemed to bo a gcirainc one it will h* passed on ta the for action, The -fcxecTitivc is a virile body, ami zealous in-tlie interests of tlio Service. .

"We nre in sympwny wits inu con:ention of our correspondent that a retuliitioii limiting the salary of. female jITicGJ-s to £220 per nnihun is incrtttit'.blo, tmt prefer to Iwlieve, for the present, that there is ,a different interpretation of t!)o regulation in question, otherwise we fail to .sec any necessity far it. If it is fiw tjie Cemmissiinner to limit tie salaries of fcmak officers to the amounts stated, tho sisttio end could be roaoliod by another nnd W.oftj Wiral nsfrtliofl. tll/jit_ CI refusal to protiwte to positions eaifyiiig n\oro remiineratvort, otbenv-iso the prdmotion of a officer'to a position slassificd above £220 .per annum would rnsvllt in thr clesradfttJon of the .position ; thus the qnostion affects inaw as iroii .is female offlcefs, "We liopc," oonnhid*s tlio article, "that the matter will ho brought before the osorative, ami talcen wp- hy thai. bodv Tsr-ithont ichy. Any. imnression ivhieh may exist in the. winds «f fcmaic iremijprs "of the eawtifltinfl thai thetr interests nre snisonitraM Hioss of male members must be effaeca."