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1935. NEW ZEALAND,

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER (TWENTY-THIRD REPORT OF THE).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

To His Excellency the Right Honourable George Yere Arundell, Viscount Galway, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, GovernorGeneral and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Dominion of New Zealand and its Dependencies. Way it please Your Excellency, — As Acting Commissioner under the Public Service Act, 1912, I have the honour to submit the following report as required by section 15 of the Act.

REPORT.

Since the last report was presented Mr. P. Verschaffelt, C.M.G., LL.B., who was appointed Public Service Commissioner on the Ist June, 1923, resigned as from the 30th June, 1935. Mr. Verschaffelt was one of the first officers to be appointed to the Commissioner's staff on the coming into operation of the Public Service Act on the Ist January, 1913. Except for some two years in 1919 and 1920, when he was on the staff of the Public Trust Office, firstly as Controller, Wills, Trusts, and Agencies Division, and next as Chief Accountant, Mr. Verschaffelt was attached to the Public Service Commissioner's Office successively as Clerk, Inspector, Secretary, Assistant Public Service Commissioner, and Public Service Commissioner. He therefore has had a large share in the moulding of the Service under Commissioner control. Well acquainted with every branch of the Service and every phase of its work, he brought to its control great ability and energy, and was recognized by all as a fair and strong guardian of its rights and privileges as well as a just dispenser of its appointments. His resignation was received with great regret by all divisions of the Service. As from the 12th April, 1935, I was appointed Deputy Commissioner during the absence of Mr. Verschaffelt, who was granted leave to enable him to accompany the Right Honourable the Minister of Finance to London. As from the date of Mr. Verschaffelt's resignation, which was tendered while he was in London, I was appointed Acting Commissioner in accordance with the provisions of section 23 of the Finance Act, 1919. Mr. T. Mark, Secretary, Public Service Commissioner's Office, was appointed Acting Assistant Commissioner as from the ,12th April, 1935.

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