H.—l4

24

Section 26 of the Appropriation Act, 1913, authorized the payment of salaries at the classified rate as from the Ist April, 1913. In the Temporary Employees Act, 1913, power was given to the Commissioner to make regulations governing the permanent appointment to the Service of certain of the temporary employees who have been continuously employed since the coming into force of the Public Service Act, 1912. Regulations. The Regulations issued in April, 1913, under the Public Service Act have generally met the requirements of the Service. It was only to be expected that experience of the working of the regulations would reveal some defects necessitating amendments, and would suggest other matters concerning which fresh regulations might be necessary. Amendments and additions have therefore been made from time to time, and some others are being issued, amongst the most important of which is the proposed provision for leave for engineers of the Public Works Department to allow of their pursuing a course in engineering at Canterbury College. The regulations first issued for examinations adopted for the time being the Civil Service Junior and Senior Examinations of the older programme, and, while providing for certain changes to take effect in the Entrance Examination after 1913, left it for later regulations to provide a syllabus and to prescribe fresh tests for promotion in the Public Service. In regard to the Entrance Examination, the syllabus has now been supplied; but to avoid the possibility of hardship that might be caused by a change of regulations without due notice, the new Public Service Senior Examination Regulations issued are not to have effect until after the examination of January, 1915, the old Civil Service Senior Regulations being continued in force until then. Of the remaining changes in the General Regulations, the following are some that are worthy of note : — The effect of the amendment of Regulation No. 27 is to allow officers to become members of local bodies or Boards of Education. The interests of the Service are safeguarded, and officers are still forbidden to hold the office of Mayor, President, or Chairman of such. Regulation No. 51 as amended allows of an accumulation of annual leave for two years. Regulation No. 110 a makes it possible to obtain a refund of the cost of a sleepingberth when an officer is travelling on the train between Wellington and Auckland. Regulation No. 150 adds further to the list of officers authorized by the Commissioner to engage or discharge temporary workmen. The main change in Regulation No. 155 is to make the Public Service Senior Examination (with certain specified subjects) the test for admission to the Professional Division. Regulation No. 222 deals with the maximum salaries and grading of female officers in the Service-. During the course of the year regulations for special Departments have been made as under : Public Works Department —In regard to employees in Government workshops ; Printing and Stationery Department; Marine Department— Providing for extra leave for lightkeepers ; Department of Labour—Specifying the examination to be taken by Inspectors of Factories who wish to qualify for certain higher positions in the Department; Post and Telegraph Department. The Temporary Employees Act, 1913, left it to the Commissioner to make regulations governing the permanent appointment of temporary employees in the Service. The regulations have been duly issued, and the claims of temporary employees for permanent appointment are now receiving attention. Certain slight amendments are about to be made in the Stores Regulations which were made under the authority of the Public Service Act in April, 1913. In addition, regulations regarding non-consumable stores (departmental property) were drafted and submitted to a committee of departmental officers for consideration and report, and are being issued. Many valuable suggestions have been obtained from consideration of the regulations introduced in the Commonwealth and State Services of Australia; and the