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of the Government Service were granted a cost-of-living bonus at the rate of £15 per annum or Is. per diem to married men, and £7 10s. per annum or 6d. per diem to single persons. This cost-of-living bonus was, however, discontinued as from the Ist April, 1920, when a further cost-of-living increase to salary of £50 for senior officers and £20 to juveniles was granted, with the condition that the amount was " subject to revision as the cost of living increased or decreased." The total estimated cost-of-living increase granted from the Ist April, 1920, for the whole of the Government Service (Railways, Teachers, Post and Telegraph, Police, and Public Service) is £2,500,000. The cost in so far as the classified, staff of the Public Service is concerned is approximately £320,000 per annum. Salaries generally. The scale of salaries (including cost-of-living increase) in the Public Service ranges from a minimum of £85 to a maximum of £750 for the Professional Division and £800 for the Clerical Division. It is considered that this scale is by no means over-liberal. The present maximum for the lowest class (Class VII) is £320 per annum. In the opinion of the Commissioners, this is too high a remuneration for an officer who may be performing only routine clerical duties. It is considered that the existing Class VII should be subdivided, and new classes with the following maxima provided : Class VII, maximum £320 ; Class VIII, maximum £270; Class IX, maximum £215 ; Class X, maximum £160. An officer would not be promoted from one class to another until the Commissioners were satisfied that the nature of the work and the manner in which it was performed warranted the increase in salary. Minimum Wage. In last year's report reference was made to the fact that Government had provided funds to enable a minimum wage of £187 16s. to be granted to adult ablebodied married men. This was further increased to £234 15s. as from the Ist May, 1921, following the decision arrived at by Government in respect of salaries payable to officers of the Railway Department. Eighty-three officers of the Public Service were affected by the decision. Temporary Employees. Owing to the absence of officers on military duty, the creation of military Departments, and the expansion of business in some of the more important Departments, a considerable number of temporary clerks had to be employed during the period of war and the reconstruction period following. The following table shows the position in regard to the numbers and salaries of the temporary staffs (excluding workmen, messengers, charwomen, &c.) in the Departments under the control of the Public Service Commissioner :— Total Number Total Annual of Temporary Remuneration. Employees. £ Ist April, 1919 .. .. .. 2,089 284,160 Ist April, 1920 .. .. .. 1,455 301,425 Ist April, 1921 .. .. .. 986 213,897 Ist October, 1921 .. .. .. 656 146,677 Ist November, 1921 . . .. .. 583 134,749 The temporary staff was at its highest on the Ist April, 1919. This coincides with the period of the greatest activity in connection with war expenses, pensions work generally, and discharged soldiers settlement. Since then the staff has decreased by 1,506, whose total salaries were £149,411. The decrease since the Ist April, 1921, has been 403, whose total salaries were £79,148. Of the number employed on the Ist November, 1921, 113 were performing duties of a clerical nature in the Defence Department and War Expenses Audit; 46 in the Pensions and Lands and Survey Departments on pensions and soldiersettlement work ; 274 were engaged on clerical work in other Departments; the