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FEDERAL PUILi SERICE.
A YEzA1S ExPAi1ON.
EFFCITS OF THE WAIL
In the twelfth annual report of the
Conmmonweatta Fuolic Ojervic tAumminisiner,
wmica wee prsented to toe S'ederal ~a.
?ament last weer, the period covered- is
the financial year ended a une 30, 11?6. Mr.
W. IB. J4dwars, who submiittecd the report
in his ca?scity as Acting public Service
C~ommissouer, emphasises wSe incremaed od -
innds made upon the servco.
'The aonditions of unrest caused by the
w?ar," lii report states, "have been- reflecr
ed in the Getails of toe administraton of
the Public Service. Increased pressure ur
work has been. felt in all departments, tne
services of a large body of permanent o&di
cers have been temporarily withdrawn ow
ing to enlistments for acscve service, and
recourse has been had to the employment
on an extended. scale cf temporary assist
ance, which, it is obvious, could not pro
ride equivalent substitutes for experienced
and capable absentees. The result is that,.
generany speakin the permanent stafs
have .had increased demands made upon
them, and only by earnest and constant ef
fort upon the part of oficers and at some
sacrifice of their private considerations has
it been possible fo- cope with public busi
ness, In the last report it was mentioned
that, following upon adverse conditions of
drought and war, the rate of expansion
of the service had been considerably les
sened, and it ors stated that at Juno 30,
1915, the number of ofiocrs and positions
on the permanent staff were 22,194 and
22,954 respectively, representing an inorease
over the previous financial year of 1,138
in the numlir of officers and 407 in the
number of positions. At. Jung 30, 1916,
there were 22,686 offirs and 23,216 posi
tions on the staff,. being an advan?e of
only 492 offiers and 262 positions over the
figures for the preceding year. The differ
ence between the number of additional eml
cers and positions.is represented by'vacan
cies existing -prior to July 1 1915, and
filled during 1915-16. It will, therefore, be
seen that the effect of the abnormal war
conditions continues to be demonstrated mn
a further shrinkage in the rate of expan
sion of the permanent establishment.'
"The salaries expenditure for the perm-,
nent staff at June 30, 1916, was £53,59,609,.
as compared with £3,381,349 on June 30,
1915. an increase of £212,260 for '1915-16
as against £234,534 for 1914-15.. As the new
appointments made have been relatively
few. their cost would absorb only' asmall
proportion of the 'additional. expenditure,.
the greater pare of which is to be debited'
against payment of higher salaries by to
son of awards of 'the Arbitration Court and
ordinury,.increuatnts: The cost of. tempo
rary and exempt employment - during the
year exeeeded that of the 'previous year
by £345,259, being £1,400,178 for 1915-16 ap
against £1,054,919 for 1914-15. Owing to ea
penditure unmdr this head being. largel
infinenced by vacillating considerations,
namely, the extent and nature of construe
tional works carried out by the Depart
ment of Home Affairs, it is dificult to
fix a proper basis of comaarison of the
cost of this class of labour between differ
ent years; .but, taking such s'department
a, s.that of the Postmaste'r-General where
the work does not Tary appreciably in
character and_ any added expendliture 'under
this head must e closely related' to an
increase in' business, it is found that the'
cost of' temporary anil. exempt employ
ment 'for 1915-16 was- £32,403 in excess of
that for the preceding year."
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