3

F.—l

Staff. Comparative Return of Officers of the Post and Telegraph Department for the Years ended " 31st March, 1914, and 31st March, 1915. The total number of officers on the staff on the 31st March, 1914 and 1915, was as under :— 31st March, 31st March, 1914. 1915. Postmaster-General ... ... .... ... 1 1 Classified staff, — Administrative Division ... ... ... ... 3 3 Professional Division ... ... ... ... 36 36 Clerical Division ... ... ... ... ...2,361 2,477 General Division ... ... ... ... ... 3,236 3,445 Total, classified stall ... ... ... 5,637 5,962 Employees not on permanent staff, — Country Postmasters and Postmistresses ... ... 2,306 2,8-7 Night-watchmen ... ... ... ... ... 5 5 Postmasters and telegraphists or telephonists who arc Railway officers ... ... ... ..." 148 143 Switchboard attendants ... ... ... ... 40 119 Note-sorters ... ... ... ... 8 Total ... ... ... ... ... 8,136 8,584 Health oi Staff. The following table gives the average absence of officers on sick-leave : — Number of . ~ Average Absence Officers t_f&l Offi? for eßch officer on Staff. per Sick Officer. employed. Days. Days. Men ... ... ... 5,272 10-16 3-76 Women ... ... ... 689 1.5-59 .10-57 Twelve officers died during the year. PERSONAL, Mr, I). Miller, Chief Inspector, retired on superannuation after long ami faithful service. His position has been filled by the promotion of Mr. It. B. Morris, Chief Postmaster, Christchurch. Expeditionary Forces. Up lo the 31st March, 1913, 246 officers of the Department volunteered for active service. The names of any officers who earn honours, or whose names appear in any list of casualties, will be included in a departmental roll of honour. «_» Postal Union Congress. The Postal Union Congress, which was to _aye been held at Madrid in September, 1934, was indefinitely postponed owing to the outbreak of the European war. Mr, \V. R. Morris, the Secretary of the Department, who was to represent New Zealand, was in America when the postponement was announced. He returned to New Zealand via Australia, which he visited on official business on his way back. Instruction Classes for Officers. The correspondence classes inaugurated in 1910 for the tuition, of officers of the Department in technical telegraphy and telephony, and in subjects of the Civil Service (now Public Service) Senior and Junior (now Entrance) Examinations and the Sixth Standard, were continued during 1914. The classes were suspended between 18th August and 14-th September on account of the abnormal conditions created by the outbreak of war. The total number of students for the year was 306, of whom 109 were technical students. The results of the year's work were, as in previous years, very satisfactory. In all 149 lads received instruction at the telegraph-learners' sohools at Oamaru and Wellington. The special course of lectures on physios held at Victoria College during the 1914 session was attended by six engineering officers, all of whom did successful work. Owing to the exigencies of the Service it has been found impossible to release any officers during 1915. Examinations . The number of officers who sat for efficiency examinations during the year 1914-15 was 770. Of this number, 580 (75 per cent.) wen' successful either wholly or partially. On tin' recommendation of the Department Accounting was substituted for French as one of the three subjects of which one is compulsory for non-technical officers of the Department sitting for the Public Service Senior Examination.