PUBLIC SERVICE DINNER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2521, 23 July 1915, Page 7

PUBLIC SERVICE DINNER

Tho second annual dinner, of tlio New Zealand Public Sorciso Association was held in the Municipal Concert Cham- . ber last evening. Mr, J. W. iMacdonald presided. Tliere was a large attendance. The first toast honoured was "The King.'' - - Tho toast of Parliament was proposed ,bY Dr. Fitchett, and responded to by tfie Hon. Sir Francis 8011, K.C.M.G., and the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward. Dr.' Fitchett said tliat the Public Service Association, was doing excellent work, and ho took tho opportunity of commending to Sir Francis Bell what he considered to be tho advisability of giving legal status and legal recognition to the association. Sir Francis Bell ' remarked that while he was the .nominal head of the Public Service, the hoads of the Department were now directly responsible to Parliament, not to tho - Government. Ho had never found tho association unreasonable in its demands. He had differed from thorn on occasions, but they had agreed on many. Ho would never fail to recognise that the' Public Servico Association was, in protecting tho -l ights of tho members of'the .Public Service, doing an excellent work, and performing a service to the whole community. . Among the other toasts honoured were "The Public Service Commissioner," "Tlio Permanent Heads," and "Visiting Delegates."