H.—l4

22

that this arises from a want of supervision on the part of Chief Clerks or sectional heads, and feel satisfied that a great many of the payments which are recommended are quite unnecessary. As an instance : in one Department a claim for overtime was received from one officer, and recommended by the Permanent Head, for £18 for one month, which, upon investigation, the Commissioners have been advised was wholly unnecessary, whilst in another Department claims of a most extravagant character have been recommended for payment. Health of Staff. The following table gives the average absence of officers on sick-leave : —

Examinations held. The examinations conducted during the year under the Public Service Regulations have been the Public Service Entrance Examination, the Public|Service Senior Examination, the efficiency examinations in the Post and Telegraph Department, efficiency examinations in connection with mechanical appliances, and examinations for admission of shorthand-writers and typists. Papers were also set for an efficiency examination of the draughtsmen in the Public Service, but the examination lapsed, as no entries were received. The question of discontinuing the Public Service Senior Examination after January, 1916, and of substituting instead special examinations for individual Departments or groups of Departments, is still under consideration. Senior and Entrance Examinations. In accordance with clause 172 of the General Regulations the syllabus and procedure for the recent Public Service Senior were the same as for the corresponding examination in previous years. The examination was held between the sth and 20th January, at twenty-seven centres throughout the Dominion and at the Chatham Islands. The number of entrants was 989, as compared with 1,051 for the previous year. Of the 989 admitted at the 4 last examination, 804 actually presented themselves in the examination-room, and 522 were successful in improving their status and are now recorded in conjunction withjjearlier successes, if any, as having passed as follows : Passed the whole examination, 201, of whom three passed with distinction ; passed in five or more subjects, 20 ; passed in four, 97 ; passed in three, 101 ; passed in two, 103. The altered conditions contained in amended regulations which came into force on the Ist April, 1915, have allowed of a further seven candidates being regarded as having passed the whole examination from that date. The Public Service Entrance Examination was conducted at forty-seven centres between the 18th and 25th November, 1914, under regulations which came into force on the Ist April of that year. The number of candidates entered was 1,044, as compared with 868 for the previous year. Of the total, 826 were present at the examination and 668 passed. Only those boys were admitted to the Entrance Examination who expressed, their intention of entering the Public Service if possible, and girls were excluded altogether from competing, the demands of the Service not appearing to require any departure in this respect from the course followed in the previous year. Both the Senior and the Entrance Examinations were conducted by the Education Department by arrangement. The cost was as follows : Public Service Senior, £1,049 ; Public Service Entrance, £729.

Number oi Number of at i i -n (UK tn. hi rtta i. i Number oi Days Oilicers on htutt umcers absent ... c , i ,„„,,. . , ,, -r-r Officers absent. 30/1/4. during the Year. Average Number of days each Officer absent Sick. Average Absence for the Whole Staff (In Davs). is e It I) ,ei \ al )a am W iff ay 10n ti \'S h (i •8] ef io (ir: 0for lie n Number of Deaths. Male . . Female .. 9,252 2,927 38,493 1,153 673 11,806 13 18 4 II 4 .0 38 4 10 Totals Totals 10,405 3,600 50,299 I 14 5 42 i