THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2802, 21 June 1916, Page 7

THE PUBLIC SERVICE

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

BEPQRT OF : THE ASSOCIATION

The annual conference of the New.Zea- ■ ■■land.'-Public Service 'Association'. com- ' menced in.'the Esperanto'! Hull, Lanibtoh -'; Quay, yesterday.morning'.!! Mr:,G. Allport,. pro3idontv occupied.the : chair.! ■ The , first business; of:'tho .meeting .was,'the thaaninudi report''and ".' balanoe-sho'et.; stated th'at.the ; of■'.tllb.;association?.'ab ; jt March'3l last: is 4030, an increase, of . :J ro "i the twelve months. .Of this numlerbetwwn 300 and 400 members are with • the Expeditionary Forces. The oiganisa tion-of the association, so far as- the ad- ; . :• ministration. of sonie/of '.the 6ections ie •:■.-1 oojoerned; has been :a - common sufferer With other, business institutions. Changes .in secretaryships consequent'upon enlist- ".. 'nients,-heavy .demands-upon officers ,in . the nature. of additional work in' Depart- ; rnents created by, lack of assistance, diver. ■ sions .resulting- from the lauhohing- of : Queen Carnivals," all; have-tended to loosen the reins of section government. It ■;■"• is,all the more .creditable, therefore, that - our membership has. shown- an increase. .'■■ , ,;! : !!.!- ; v-/;;!.! -Finance. /.,'■■;.!'./' ■'.-"' , : : '.:-':. "Tho cash' balance .-at March '31 was . , ss. ,Bd.,an increase of, 4s. 3d'. / over the amount for tho previous annual '-.'/' Period.! This, ia satisfactory, ;■ and: this' view.is .heightened when it is/realised, ' that nearly '..£50,. representing subscrip-' : r tions of members .with the Expeditionary) •' Forces, hasbeeh written off.'-The section": ■ -,-. balanoe-sheetsi as well, as. the •membership ':■ rolls,/are under the'.rules.tb be. in the . hands of- (his general secretary ty,"April '.',.20 in each year. Despite. repeated appli- : cations some sections failed to supply information! until considerably-after", that: , 'period. In fact, at the .present moment the balance-sheets-of two sections'have . .' not come ; to. hand.;//••. .;•/-■'„'• ',/;!. ;//;-/;/ .;/.- Commissioner Control. ! ';■-.''!' ..-".Three.years.of.Public,Service Commit ';.-. : ' eioner /control has'-not/ passed without V g» the association :f arming (definite view's as! 7f to the. merits': and '.'..demerits.'of the sys- :.'.-'.' tema'nd.of its/administration... It.cannot , . ~be denied.that the system has merits, •/':but .'these merits have,/to:a'great/extent, 'been lost by the manneriri which the Act ha 9 been administered.' There is no doubt that the Commissioner and his! assistants 'have failed 'tq,,6ecure, the. confidence, of the Public! Servants undertheir control, ! 'and.withbut-such-confldehce it is.impos-' ■'- , sible to the .best;results. |We .do ./.hot deny that 1 their -task was,, a .heavy one, that their.path/was bestreawn-with difficulties -that-J demanded: ability .and tact :'beyond'the'average'.-.'lnstead, of .-■■ /rectifying anomalies and injustice in some ' 'cases in which they:/existed,; however, ■ they have' perpetuated and increased !..rhem. It 1 cannot be denied, that"any., dis- : ~. .content that exists, in; the.-Service is caused' thrdugh;<ofiicers'. feeling that they ./; have not -been! dealt 1 with -in -..the,manner ■ £'.. it the provisions: and; intention "of-the , '- i t led them, to expect. :■!'/": /'!-■/ I Expediency rather;than principle ap- . {tears to'have guided the Commissiohei ' ■ : . in his /administration.;, The -percentage. :.of. apneals-iwhichShaye, been,granted : de-,-v ; spite the;faotjthat.the. Commissioner ;is' '.-DracticaUy" represented by counsel.'con. ../Arms our. view, in ! this .respect. : in making regulations-,'as •.the: outset, regarding ..: "• jppeals and which/ are .now,.!admitted, to /'., ,'and.in other ways, .there. ~ --.aave been' attempts rto > whittle away, the/ ■ •'.'ifights'-given ;-to ;iis ,by : Parliament.-': So" ■ far, did' go- .in.ii.Oiis. - ..■ direct ion "that the association 'was.: cqm-

' wpellcd ; to. have recourse to the Supreme .-.(Court,-whose, decision was in. its'favour. ' .There is.also-gbodjrcason to; complain; of ■ ■: . the action taken:.by .the Commissioner in . degrading' .several; pdsitions-in -which: no <. alteration'-in: l'he-6copei or- volume of'duties had taken{'placej.'of the making ,of '■,'■■ Regulation :,222 limiting- the. salaries; of -.females in the'-.Clerical of (the ~" ; Reluctance to give effect to his. own i-egu-•lationsj.vparticularly.' Clausei 209, ':which -..provide9iforT)aymeht r '-cf -'an; allowance; in cases in : which.officers-are performihg:'the, . duties-of a.higher claw or. grade.■"-, Then,' too,- there has teen' tjhe "classificatjori-or ..officers in two grades':witiia-present'sal-. , ary within.the lower, grade, a procedure : 'now, happily'regarded; by the: Eolicitor;'General as inegal.;; .:;:-:•;'- • .Salaries of 'Officers with Expeditionary .',.'■:.■•■■■ '■:.■.''/: •.•'.-;.:• "Forces..;-''. : -;.' ; ,

■ : 'Turther action has teenrtaken during' the year to socure payment to all Public ~ Servants of .tho 'diiference between mili,.,tary and pay./ The position at the present moment: is : that the; association has arranged for'a deputation consisting : of representative's of .tho, sis' Service Asscy .' ■: ciations to. wait upon' the Primo,Ministerj. , and we are now waiting'for him to fix a .'. date for hearing. The present differentiatwh in the. treatment of/Public Servants • in. this direction- is well-nigh .farcical, and " the 'nnstableness: of the;: Government's nt- . titiide on'this subject; -requires to'be. 'Stressed with.no uncertain .voice, y :;:■ .'■.'■ .;V •"•"'.' Public/Accommodation ; Houses/- '" ... "Considerable'extensions Jarid improve-' • ments have been made to .the'list 'of- "- Public Service ; ; concession hotels and .-boardinghouses, and it is hoped that the' arrangement which has been the source of -.' considerable trouble, to place-on a 6atis- . factory footing will-v be felly; availed. of .during the ensuing year.,' Between 400 and 500. tickets .were- utilised',last :year,? . but the/number should be considerably •'. bigfer. ; Cash r associations are' .still being carried .out'in conjunction with the Unfortunately, 'in '/: Auckland, the Cash' Purchase Association has passed into independent control,-and ■ has become a limited: liability company." Questions ifor the Commissioner. . Tho annual, report included a list of 28 questions, which (in concert with tho Post and" Telegraph Qfficers' Association) it is proposed to propound to the Public Service Commissioner.under an,originat-. ing summons prepared by' the as6ocia- ' lion's solicitor. ; ,-,-. ,\ , , ..-.;.-