17

8.—9

On the conversion of the Dannevirke Branch into a District Public Trustee Office Mr. N. Webley, formerly District Accountant and Chief Clerk at Napier, was appointed to the newly created position of District Public Trustee. 38. The following statement indicates the number of staff engaged in the work of the Department on the 31st March, 1923 and 1924, at the Head Office and at the District Offices :— HEAD OFFICE. On 31st March, 1923. On 31st March, 1924. Male. Female. Total. Male. Female. Total. Permanent . . 103 38 141 Permanent . . 101 34 135 Temporary . . 4 2 6 Temporary .. 8 2 10 147 145 DISTRICT OFFICES. On 31st March, 1923. On 31st March, 1924. Male. Female. Total. Male, Female. Total. Permanent .. 302 70 372 Permanent . . 326 62 388 Temporary . . 1 16 17 Temporary .. 2 22 24 389 412 536 557 From the foregoing statement it will be seen that an increase of twenty-one in the number of staff employed has taken place during the year. Training of Junior Officers. 39. The system under which junior officers of the Department receive training in the work of the Office has been continued during the year with excellent results. Courses of lectures covering the various phases of the Office work are delivered in the Head Office, and a training section for the instruction of junior officers in the practical accounting and administration work has been established in the Wellington District Office. Lads are brought to the Wellington Office from time to time from other branches, and are given a course of training in either accountancy or adminisstration, and at the same time they attend the course of lectures delivered in the Head Office. As the training is completed the officers are transferred to the various District Offices of the Department to reinforce the staff. A trained staff to meet the inevitable wastage which, occurs in a large Department, and to provide for the constantly increasing business of the Department, is thus being built up. An accountancy-training section has been carried on in the Auckland. Office on similar lines to those followed in the training sections at Wellington. Unsatisfactory Standard of Education in English. 40. The system of instructional, classes has revealed the fact that many of the recently appointed cadets have attained only a low standard of education in English grammar and composition. This defect is specially noticeable in the lads who have passed the Public Service Entrance Examination only, and it has been found necessary to commence a class in English for their benefit, as it is impossible to give any satisfactory instruction in correspondence work while the students are practically ignorant of the principles of English grammar and composition. Generally speaking, it has been found that the lads who have passed the Matriculation Examination have received a much more satisfactory education in English.

3—B. 9.