PUBLIC SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2741, 8 April 1916, Page 7

PUBLIC SERVICE

. . - —~ —* . i 'APPEAL. BOARD ELECTION. There was only a moderate attend-ance-at .tiio Masonic Hall last night when Mr. F. J. Mouat, a candidate .for . le-eleetion to the Public Service Appeal a .the Civil Servants of . A\ elltngton, on the subjeot of his candidature. Mr. J J. L, Burke, Deputy ■Uistrict Land Registrar, occupied' the chair. At the outset Mr. Mouat expressed his .appreciation. of the unanimous vote of confidence passed. in the Appeal Board, of which he was a memII 1 ' rJ ■, .? delegates, representing the Civil Servants of Auckland, Wei-; lington Porirua, Wanganui, HawkeV - £?>'« O'ago Canterbury, Southland, *\est toast, Marlborough, Nelson, Gisborne, and Taranaki, who sat in conference m Wellington last June. . The candidate then proceeded to outline nwnl j P la . tfo ™, wliich included: ii. i-, ati ™ lsslou representatives of the daily Press to the Appeal Board's proceedings • (2) an : amendment of the lubhc Service Act so that appellants and respondent should have a statutory right to appear before the board' in person or by counsel, or by agent, m all cases; (3) an amendment of tho Public Service Act in the direction of authorising the Public Service Conimisaioner and the Appeal Board to take the cost of' living into consideration when fixing salaries; and equal pay for : girjs in the Civil Service doing equal work with men. Mr. Mouat also stated tliiit ill his opinion a Civil Servant's past behaviour should not. be inquired into further back than twelve months,, for the reason that an officer's annual increment depended upon his good and 'diligent behaviour during tho preceding twelve months. Tho candidate enlarged at length on the subject <jf tho Government _ making up to Civil Sorvants who enlisted tho difference between their military pay and their Public Service pay, pointing out tliat the .Governments of New South Wales and South Australia' had already done so. Mr. Mouat answered several questions at the close of the meeting. The meeting concluded with a hearty vote of thanks to the chairman, the candidate stating that,in view of the confidence already expressed in him by the 27 delegates previously referred to„ a further vote of confidence would bc'superfluous.