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Hokitika Guardian, 24 November 1932, Page 4

Following the retirement of the En-gmeer-in-Ohief, Mr F. W. Furkert, a number of alterations are being made in connection with the Public Works Department. It is stated that one l of the principles to he followed in the reorganisation will be to separate the administrative and purely engineering functions of the Department to a greater degree, so that as a general rifle officers with only technical qualifications will not he required to shoulder administrative duties. There may still hi© some double-banking, hut it is perhaps significant that Mr McKenzie was appointed Under-Sec-retary of the. Department and is hold*ing only temporarily the office of En-gineer-in-Chief, although his predecessor, Mr F. W. Furkert, held both offices simultaneously. The allocation of the principal offices in the reorganised Department has not been finally decided, but there appears to be some likelihood of Mr John Wood, Inspector Engineer at the head office being appointed Engineer-in-Chief. It- is believed! that the Government contemplates a drastic reduction in the personnel of the Department, particularly as jthe expenditure on public works has now been greatly reduced. According to an official estimate, the staff of this Department has been cut down to 37 per cent, during the last two years. This year’s estimates show a total vote of £2,398.7(10 compared with a vote of £5,827,000, and an actual expenditure of £4,205,274 in the previous year. .The Public Service list for 1931 shows that there were in the Department 763 permanent officers of whom 141 were in the engineering division, 319 were in the cleric’ll divis’on, and 303 were in the general division. The presence of the Public Service Gnmniis-ioner at the cHi'"era Hons on the proposed reorganisation suggests that some attempt is bjino- made to meet the position by transferring some offici rs to other Dopnirtme'nts. It seems im.possi.hla, however, that sufficient tramfers can he made to cove all of tla• ■ likely retrenchments, so that the announcement of the details of the reorganisation is ,being awaited with so'o anxiety by tiiose immediately involved.