H.—l4.

Many Departments have required their staffs to work overtime during the past year. Unfortunately it has not been possible to prevent this overtime by the engagement of additional staff owing to — (a) The work to be performed being of a temporary or rush nature : (b) Trained staff being necessary to perform the work : (c) It not being practicable to engage in many cases additional staff owing to serious lack of accommodation. The lack of accommodation, made more acute by the recent expansion of activities, has had a hampering effect on the attainment of utmost efficiency in those Departments affected, but, when the present progressive building programme is completed within the next few years, it is hoped that this difficulty will disappear. Recruitment op the Public Service. From 1932 to the end of 1936 the minimum requirement for entry to the Clerical or Professional Division of the Public Service was the University Entrance Examination. During these years appointments were made from an order-of-merit list arranged on the following basis, preference being given in the order stated : — (a) Those with a section of a degree or a pass in two or more subjects of a professional examination —e.g., Accountants' Professional, Law Professional, &c.—according to the number of subjects in which they have passed. (■b) Those passing the University Entrance Scholarship Examination with credit. (c) Those with the University Entrance Examination and a Higher-leaving Certificate. (d) Those with the University Entrance Examination. (e) Those with the School-leaving Certificate. In the above classes the applicants were arranged in order of merit according to the aggregate marks obtained. In classes (a), (b), and (c) an age-limit of twentyone years was observed, and for classes (d) and (e) nineteen years. Before the present year was far advanced it was apparent that considerable difficulty would be experienced in having available a sufficient supply of cadets to meet the demands of the Service. To assist matters the age-limit for classes (d) and (e) above was raised from nineteen to twenty-one years. Before the close of 1937 it is anticipated that the supply of cadets will not be equal to the demand. In order to improve the position next year arrangements have been made to reintroduce the Public Service Entrance Examination. This will be held in November next. Preference will continue to be given to applicants possessing higher qualifications than the Public Service Entrance Examination. It is hoped in this way to have a sufficient supply of cadets available for 1938. During the years 1931 and 1932 only two appointments to cadetships were made ; in 1933, 137 were appointed ; in 1934, 207 ; in 1935, 359 ; in 1936, 580 ; while for the period January to June of the present year 441 have been appointed. The lack of appointments in the depression years is now being severely felt in the Service. An officer of five or six years' service is generally at a very useful stage of his career. Many Departments to-day are asking in vain for trained officers with this length of service. A glance at the appointments quoted above will show that there are practically no officers of this class available. It is essential for the running of an efficient Public Service to have a regular supply of young officers coming on. Another problem which will have to be faced is one arising from the recruitment of cadets at a later age than previously. Prior to 1931 the average age for appointment to the Service would have been about seventeen years. An officer joining the Service at this age would reach the maximum of Class VII in ten years —i.e., at the age of, say, twenty-seven. With possible double increments for certain examinations or for special merit and ability he could, of course, have reached the maximum before ten years' service. Now that appointments are being made up to the age of twenty-one years, it will be seen that some officers will normally be

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