H.—l4

8

extended under section 45 until permanent officers return to duty, but Departments have been so fully apprised of the intention of the Commissioners that it is hoped there will be no more pressure on their part to retain temporary employees beyond the proper time. As regards temporary draughtsmen, the Department of Lands and Survey having failed for years to appoint a sufficient number of draughting cadets, the position is very unsatisfactory, and will continue to be so until draughting cadets about to be appointed are qualified. It may, however, be some years before they can do more than provide for the expansion of business. While it is without doubt that many draughtsmen who are temporarily employed are well qualified, the Department admits that a proportion is in the category of tracers, and that an intelligent youth should be able to acquire an equal facility in from three to six months. In the case of the temporary adult tracer, it is not likely that he will be able to qualify for more important draughting-work, while the cadet should progress continuously and be properly trained in the higher branches of the work of the Department. Relieving Staff. The policy of finding employment for those officers who have been displaced owing to the introduction of new methods, and whose record was satisfactory, has been continued, and their names have been placed on the relieving staff attached to the Department of Internal Affairs. These officers have been available for any special duty which might arise, thus preventing the unnecessary employment of temporary clerks by individual Departments. Owing to the absence of so many officers on military duty whose places are being kept open, a number of cadets appointed during the past few months is being treated as on the relieving staff, although they will be required to fill the places of absent officers in Departments continuously until the officers return to duty. Under this arrangement the staff in excess of normal departmental requirements can be readily traced. During the year the services of a number of employees for whom work could no longer be found in the Government Printing Office, and who in the ordinary course would have been dispensed with owing to the outbreak of war, were utilized by the Post and Telegraph Department. Legislation affecting the Public Service Act. The Education Act, 1914, contains several provisions affecting the Public Service Act which are of some importance. Under section 26 the Commissioner is empowered to appoint to the Clerical Division of the Education Department or of any other Department of the Public Service any person who on the Ist January, 1915, was permanently employed by any Education Board for more than twenty hours a week in clerical work. As the old education districts—thirteen in number —will remain in force until the Ist January, 1916, when they will be reduced to not less than seven nor more than nine, it is not many clerks will require to be provided for before then. The only provision, made so far is the transfer of the Secretary of the Southland Education Board to the Head Office of the Education Department. Under section 131 the Inspectors appointed by Education Boards under any former Education Act, and in office on the Ist January, 1915, are deemed to be Inspectors of the Education Department as if they had been appointed under the Public Service Act, 1912. These Inspectors are referred to under a separate heading. Unfortunately, section 131 is so difficult to interpret that an amendment to make more clear the intention of legislation appears to be desirable. Section 160 empowers the Commissioner to classify for the purposes of the Public Service Act officers of the Public Service who are engaged in the Educational service, in a division to be known as the Educational Division. This is a matter of distinct importance to teachers and others, who, owing to no other division being available, had to be temporarily classified in the General Division. Public Service Act. Experience has shown that it would be desirable to amend the Public Service Act in order to provide machinery clauses to meet several classes of cases which