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are admirably placed. A fair proportion of the women employed in the Public Service have shown much ability in this work, several having passed the Court Reporter's Examination and being able to take correct reports of the proceedings of deputations, courts-martial, and the like. Roll of Honour. 11. Up to the end of March last the Public Service of the Dominion has suffered the loss in action, or as the result of the war, of 414 officers. Their names are shown in the departmental lists. While the memory of these officers will never be forgotten by their fellow public servants as men who did their duty nobly and well, it is hoped that some steps will now be taken to provide a permanent memorial of the services of public servants who lost their lives in the war. Co-OPERATION AND Co-ORDINATION OF DEPARTMENTS. 12. The Commissioners have made more than one recommendation urging co-operation between Departments, and, while it is believed that there is some endeavour to effect this, there is a tendency, due to want of knowledge or otherwise of the machinery of Departments, for proposals to be made which result in expenditure which might be avoided. Unfortunately, owing to the short sessions of Parliament during the last year or two, it has not always been possible for the Commissioners to be aware of the effects of new legislation proposed, so that they have not been in a position to suggest the use of existing machinery. 13. As an example, legislation was recently passed in connection with the provision of land for returned soldiers and the granting of advances to enable them to buy houses. It appears to have been overlooked by the Department concerned that, at any rate as regards the buying of houses on advances repayable by instalments, there already existed the excellent organization of the Advances to Settlers Office. The Lands and Survey Department, no doubt, wish to be selfcontained, but the case is one in which neither dignity nor efficiency would have been lost if the machinery of the Advances to Settlers Office had been utilized, to say nothing of economy by saving of staff. 14. Tne supervision of soldiers' settlements will result in a considerable expenditure, the appointment of a number of supervisors being necessary. 15. One direction not referred to in any previous report in which there might be more co-operation between Departments is in regard to machinery in use by Departments. There appears to be no reason why the functions of the Inspectors of Machinery employed by the State should not be extended by requiring them to report upon any waste of efficiency, power, labour, fuel, &c, attributable to the use of obsolete, unsuitable, or duplicate machinery which comes under their notice when inspecting Government boilers. Public Service Abroad. 16. During the year a number of Committees has been set up in the United Kingdom to consider matters in connection with the Civil Service —among others, the application of the Whitley Report to the Administrative Departments of the Civil Service, and a Machinery of Government Committee, both of which reports are referred to under other headings. 17. A Royal Commission to inquire into the Public Service of New South Wales sat last year, and made recommendations, several of which are referred to elsewhere. Public Service Act. . 18. As the term of the Public Service Commissioners ends on the 31st December next, the opportunity is being taken in more than one quarter to suggest improvements m the Act: among others, that one of the Commissioners, or of a Board of three, as the case may be, should be an officer of the Public Service elected by his fellows. It is understood that the promoters of this proposal desire to retain a Board of Appeal,, which in its turn would have an elected member. 19. Assuming for a moment that one of the Commissioners should be an elected representative of the Public Service, it is difficult to see what advantage