PARLIAMENT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 19 November 1927, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PUBLIC SERVICE BILL PASSED. ASSOCIATION’S APPROVAL. Wellington, November 18. In moving the second reading of the Public Service Amendment Bill ill the House to-day. the Prime Minister said that this morning the Public Service Association had met the Pubiic Service Commissioner and discussed the bill, and it seemed as if several verbal amendments would meet what the association desired, and those alterations were being prepared. The bill provided that where officers had been exempted from Public Service for any public purpose they could be taken back b.v their departments without loss of status or superannuation. It also made provision for the transfer pf officers from one department to another without loss of status to that officer, for which there was no provision now. Provision was made for the appointment of a deputy to the head of the department, who had statutory duties to perform and which could not now ba performed in his absence. The Public Service Commissioner was asking for permission to see persons outside the service in ' regard to applicants for office, and the bill gave that power. The question of appeals was put on a similar footing to that of the Post and: Telegraph Department and the Railway Department. 1 he bill related almost wholJv to matters of procedure and was part of a scheme intended to secure essential uniformity in the administration oi departments subject to the conrtol of the Commission. The bill was read the second time and the House went into committee on it. In clause 4, giving the Commission the right to consult those outside the service about appointments within the service, the Leader of the Opposition asked where was the need for such a provision, as it seemed to him it was getting behind the previous provision, which was passed to eliminate political influence. Mr W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) wanted to know on what information the Commissioner acted when an appointment was made. Djd he rely entirely, as he should, on the information given on the application form, or did he consult Ministers and others about appointments? The Prime Minister said it might often be to the advantage of an applicant that the Commissioner should be able to get outside information regarding him. It was not intended to open the door to political influence. The clause was passed and the bill was reported without amendment. On the third reading, the Prime Minister said it was quite wrong to suggest that the country was overrun with public servants. So long as we had State-owned railways the number of civil servants must always appear larger, but the service was not overloaded. He agreed that a certain process of combing out should always ho iroing on. but the normal number of Government employees was not over large. The bill was read the third time and passed. LOCAL BILLS PASSED. When the House resumed at 7.30 p.m., the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Howard Estate Amendment Bill were agreed to. The House went on with the Child Welfare Amendment Bill, which was reported with minor amendments moved by the Minister The amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Local Legislation Bill were, on the motion of Sir Maui Pomare, disagreed with. The House then proceeded to consider local bills, the following being passed : —Greytown Trust Lands Trustees Empowering Bill (the Hon. A. D. McLeod). Christchurch Tramway District Amendment Bill (Mr D. G. Sullivan).

_ The House rose at 9.10 p.m. till 7.30 on Monday evening.