THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 41, 12 November 1918, Page 7

THE PUBLIC SERVICE

REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS

EFFECTS OF THE. WAR

Tho sixth annual report of the Public Service Commissioners was laid upon the table of the Legislative Council yesterday.

"lii common with other institutions,' slates the report, "the Public' Service, owing ii, special conditions, .has hnd._ a sfr-enuoiiK time during the year. Not only have heads of Departments had to cope with loss of their own officers for military service, but developments' in some Departments have had. tho result of causing vacancies which have been filled by transfer, of officers from one Department to another. Tho number of officers absent with tho Expeditionary Force on .March Id, IMS, was 2-501), an increase of 370 over 'the previous year. "The wastage of tho perjnanent staff numbered 13U as compared .with 1183 in the preceding year, necessitating the nihil,' of 1890 positions. The increase in wastage is principally in the Post'and Telegri'.ph Department, where it has risen from five to nine per cent. "The- number-of officers discharged from (ho Expeditionary Force . was 2(il!. Permanent heads have had many diliiculti'vs to overcome, and the Commissioner.-; must express their appreciation of the manner in which unavoidable temporary derangements of staff, which havo at times occurred, have been met. . Notwithstanding the difficulties the efficiency of tiny service has been well maintained. Expeivnco during four years of war has fchown that the system of central recruiting of temporary which followed the coming into force of the Public Sen ice Act has avoided many .difficulties which could not have been "done under any system of recruiting by any other Department. Recruiting lias been fairU' satisfactory, although at times the list of suitable applicants has been exhausted. Owing to tho centralisation of Defence ano, ■ other activities in Wellington the main difficulty has been in supplying staffs for offices, in that city. The disinclination of people to have their homes is. accentuated by the- scarcity of lodging accommodation, particularly for women, in Wellington. Several institutions are making efforts'to.relieve, this by the. establishment of hostels, but this work is proceeding so slowiy that it will apparently be necessary either '. for -.the Government to establish hostels of their own or to - subsidise., approved,.. institutions." '. -

Tho report goes on to state that there were U.V, women in- the service in a permanent or temporary capacity, as' comparai with 382(i before the-war. " While there were many positions in the Public Service which for good reasons could not be filled by women, the Commissioners recorded that women were now satisfactorily performing work which heads of Departments .would havo hesitated"., to entrust .them before-the war.-' Tho zeal, diligence, and good work of the large number of women, of .whom -the grenter propcrtion had no office experience before joining the service, merited praise.. Up .till March 31. 1018, a total of 277 officer? had been killed in action.- On April 1, ,1017, tho salary bill' -was X1,'208,07l' 1 -for 6217,' permanent officers, and on March 31, 1918, if was £1,181,558 for (KIM officers—a decrease, of .G27,12(1. The civilian-'staff for war work (permanent and temporary) was , .331 - males and 373 female's. ' " ' i ; . (