23

H.--14

The report also deals with the employment of women and the Civil Service in relation to the duties of citizenship. Another important proposal is that there should be promotion by transfer of officers from one Department to another. This principle has, after a year's experience in this Dominion, been found to be a sound one, and one which I am able to say has enabled promotion by merit to be realized in its best sense. Applications for Employment. The popularity of employment in the Public Service is evidenced by the large number of applications made to this office in anticipation of suitable vacancies occurring—some by applicants with special qualifications, and others by persons with no training at all. Table X gives particulars of the positions applied for, and shows that the number of such applications ijs 2,401 for the year. No difficulty has been experienced in obtaining sufficient applications from boys desirous of appointment to cadetships, the liberal salary and allowance payable on admission, and the good opportunities for advancement held out to deserving officers under the Public Service Act and Regulations, no doubt acting as an inducement. Now that admission to the Entrance Examination is confined to those who are desirous of entering the Service, the number of refusals of offers of appointment is much less than formerly. Parents of candidates do not appear to understand the effect of restricting the choice of Departments to which their sons will accept appointment, and some of the candidates lose opportunities in consequence. For instance, a boy who applies for admission to a certain Department is passed over when his turn for consideration comes, unless the vacancy happens to be in the particular Department named by him. He therefore has to wait until a vacancy occurs in that Department, and sometimes no vacancy will occur in it at all. Similarly, some candidates restrict their choice to the Professional Division of the Service, and thereby lose all chance of appointment unless they alter their applications, for amended regulations render the Entrance Examination pass an insufficient qualification for admission to this division. Advertising of Positions. The practice has been generally followed of advertising in the Press positions for which special qualifications are required. The competition for Government positions has been very active, and, as in most cases many of the applicants have good qualifications, it is apparent that the salaries paid in the Service compare favourably with those for similar work outside, and that the conditions of employment are regarded favourably. Positions for which application is limited to officers alone are advertised in the New Zealand Gazette, in the " Public Service Official Circular," or in the official organs of the Public Service and Post and Telegraph Officers' Associations. The opportunity thus given of applying for positions is appreciated by officers. As will be seen from Table IX attached to this report, the number of applications received for advertised positions is very large, and the amount of work required to deal with them is considerable. Whenever possible, the practice followed is to narrow down the applicants to a selected few, and to arrange for a personal interview with these before a final choice is made. Legislation affecting the Public Service Act, 1912. Section 35 of the Public Revenues Amendment Act, 1913, altered the provisions of sections 20 and 22 of the Public Service Act, 1912, to enable increments of salary and wages of officers in receipt of classified salaries or wages to be paid as they become due, instead of waiting until the passing of the Appropriation Act at the end of each session. The necessary provision was included for making deductions from salary or wages in the event of alterations being made in the Estimates by Parliament.