THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 53, 23 July 1914, Page 7

THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

/ Nli.., AUT. MB, IUCRDMAN'S VIEWS. I Wellington, Tuesday. The annual meeting 01 tnc Executive (.<Jiiti.it .a uie. fuhiic oiivice Assocuttion opened ill tile EspeJiiiuo Hall last night. _vlr. Hurdiiian expressed pea-sure at me honor conferred upon liini m beiiig a.-.l.ed io lormally open the conferei:ei!. The r.ilil.c Service Act had been in operation It:j- a little over twei.e mouths, and he earnestly hoped, as one who had taken a very keen interest in the question of the ■manage.inient of the staff of a Slate, that ultimately .it would prove of benefit, not only to the people of the country, but to the ladies and gentlemen who constituted the Public Service in New Zealand. Mr. ' _Ua_.do.iald had suggested that from that body the Government would probably receive more trsefu. hints' as to the shape that legisCation should ailtin.ately take, tllian it would from any other source. Tn that he agreed with Mr. _VD_.cdon_-.ld, but he was sure they would recognise that the first duty the Government had to perforin in connection with tfe Administration of the Public Service Act, and the managementof the. Public Service was a duty to the public itself. lie was confident that those gentlemen who were present that night, occupying various*, posts in the Public Service of Xew Zealand, understood that tin. v as well as Ministers of the State,, were all servants and slaves to the public of Xew Zealand. He supposed the Ministers were the hardest worked slaves of the lot. (Laughter.)

BIG TASK PERFORMED, lie would like to say, in connection with tine Act, that it had been astonishing to liim, that the .amount of work undertaken by the Public Service Commissioner had been accomplished in a little over twelve imontha. The task that they Iliad to perform had been enormous. The Act came into full operation just a little over twelv.> months ago. There were over fiOOO persons belonging to the ordinary branch of the Public Service, and with the Post and Telegraph branch! over 11,000 employees. Those had been classified, and the various details that the Pub'ic Service Commissioners must have undertaken during the period had been immense.

Continuing, Mr. Hordman said that We did not expect, when the Act was passed, that it <ould po-.sibly be regarded as perfect. He did not expc<t •■* after they rad had of its working, and the Public Service Commissioners bad made recommendations to improve it, that even than it could bo looked upon 'as a perfect piece of machinery. It was almost !mr-fusible, where the human element predominated, to have perfect legislation without years of experience. He thought be could 1 say—at any rate, the Public Service Commissioners said, that the Act was working 'satisfactorily. He believed it was. He hoped, as the rcsu't of their conference, that they would be able to furnish t)We Government, and the Public Scrv'..f. Commissioner, with views I on it" wor'-iivjr. and later, no doubt, the. 1 Gov-'Himciit would have to consider the'r •"Krr'cit'nns, and probably make so-e alterations in the machinery. NO AMENDMENT THIS SEASON'. He did not think that it was probable that duriiis the present session of Parliament lie Government would make any alterations in the present Act. lie" thought it was wiser to let the machinery run longer, and let them have, more experience of it. After it was fairlv tested then let them make an amendment which would last many, many years. He thought it very likely tlit Government would suggest to the Public Service Commissioner, before any alteration in the legislation was made, that he should visit the various Australian States in which. similar legislation was in operation, with i view to studving their system, so that he could suggest to the Government the best possible amendments tililat a person of the experience of Mr. Robertson and his colleagues, assisted by those present, could suggest. He be-' lieved. in connection with the working of the Act, that the Public Servants themselves bad derived some benefit, lie never hoped or expected, when carrying the Bill through the Hou'se in 11)12, that the legislation would please everybody', or thrat the new system would please everybody.' It created an entirely new condition of .affairs, and tlioy could not impose new conditions on a Public Service consisting of 11,000 persons, without treading on the corns, o>- interfering with the comfort, of some members of the Service. That was impossible; the Public Servants could not expect it, and the Government could not expect it. They endeavoured, as a Government, to do what they considered the best, in the interests, first, of the public, and next of the Public Servants. Their aim was to have, as nearly as possible, good v, ;rl;ing conditions, and their Public Servants working as pleasantly and comfortably as was possible, consistent with their -duty to the public, and be believed in tllicJr Public Servants being well paid.