“ON THE MAT”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1080, 18 September 1930, Page 10

“ON THE MAT”

PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO ARE NEGLECTFUL DEPARTMENT’S STERN EYE THE SEX'S Parliamentary Reporter * WELLINGTON, Today. If any public servant is held guilty of any misdemeanour or is negligent in his work he is promptly “put on the mat” and called to order, sometimes dismissed. Reporting to Parliament upon irregularities in conduct by public servants the Public Service Commissioner, Air. P. Verschaffelt, says that minor offences may be dealt with by the head of the deportment, but must be reported to the Public Service Commissioner. All the more serious cases are required to be referred to the commissioner. who may conduct an inquiry himself or delegate his powers to others. In all cases the officer must be specifically charged in writing, and is required to answer the charge in writing. In the case of the more serious charges the officer has a right of appeal to the Public Service Board of Appeal against both the finding of the commissioner and the penalty inflicted. CLASSES OF CASES

The principal classes of cases dealt with during the year just closed, and the decisions arrived at. were as follow :

Three were dismissed for misappropriations: one lost his job for breaches of regulations regarding the handling of cash and another was severely reprimanded and lost leave privileges. One man was disrated for irregularities in handling of stores, another suffered similarly for unsatisfactory conduct and work. Three persons were fined and one was reprimanded for breaches of discipline. Thirty-three were dismissed, reprimanded or fined for breaches of regulations and neglect of work.