1570
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 74

Sixth Group.—Sixth Class and Postmasters, fourth grade.
The Secretary shall certify—
That it is necessary to fill the vacancy or to make the new appointment;
That the officer selected is capable of filling the vacancy;
That he has passed the prescribed examination; and
That he is best suited for the appointment.

(2.) In the First Class the Secretary or Superintendent shall, with due regard to special qualifications and aptitude, as well as seniority in class or grade, nominate three of the senior officers in the first group; and from these he shall select the officer he deems best qualified to fill the vacancy: and the Minister, after due consideration of such officer’s special qualifications and fitness for the position, may recommend him for appointment accordingly. The expression “senior officers” shall mean the officers who have been longest in either of the classes or grades of which the group is comprised.

(3.) In any other class than the first the senior officers of the group next below that in which the vacancy occurs shall be eligible to fill such vacancy, and shall be nominated in the same manner as if filling a vacancy in the First Class.

(4.) If it shall be found that no officer in the class next below that in which the vacancy occurs is eligible for promotion to the vacancy by reason of merit and suitability, then such vacancy shall be filled up from any class in such division in which a person qualified by merit and suitability can be found.

(5.) In all cases coming within the last-preceding subsection, the Minister shall certify that the officer selected is entitled to the vacant office; and upon such certificate the Governor may, subject to the provisions of these regulations, appoint the officer so certified to the vacant office.

(6.) Any officer so promoted shall receive the minimum salary of the class to which he is promoted, except in the case of an officer who may be transferred or promoted from the Sixth Class to Postmasters, fourth grade, or from the Non-clerical Division or distributors class, who at the time was in receipt of a higher salary than the minimum salary of the class to which he has been transferred or promoted. Such officer shall continue to receive such first-mentioned salary until he shall be entitled to a further increment.

(7.) Officers shall be placed at the bottom of the class to which promoted. But if any officer in any of the grouped classes is transferred to another class within the same group, his place in his new class shall be next above that of the officer who entered the group next after him.

(8.) Cadets shall remain six years in their class, or shall have been in receipt of the maximum salary for two years, before they shall be entitled to be promoted to the Sixth Class. Such promotion shall be subject to a report from the head of his office certifying that the cadet’s conduct is satisfactory in all respects, that he has passed the required examinations, and has earned promotion.

(9.) Cadets who may pass the Senior Examination (excluding the matriculation examination) shall be granted a double increment and promoted to the Sixth Class after being at the maximum of the Cadets’ Class for one year only, instead of two years. Cadets passing the Junior Civil Service Examination or the matriculation examination shall also be transferred to the Sixth Class, after being at the maximum of the class for one year only, but without a double increment: Provided that the conduct of such cadet has been satisfactory, and he is otherwise favourably reported upon for promotion.

(10.) Transfer to the special section of the Sixth Class shall be contingent upon the officer having drawn for twelve months the maximum ordinary salary of the class, and having served over twenty years in the department (including ten years in the Sixth Class), and being favourably reported upon by the head of his office as deserving of transfer: Provided that such transfer shall not take place until the beginning of the financial year next following the completion of twenty years’ service, or when the officer is otherwise eligible for transfer, and that such transfer shall not be deemed to give priority to further promotion.

(11.) Promotion or transfer from the Sixth Class to the Postmasters, fourth grade, may be made without regard to the minimum salary of the grade; and special consideration may be given any officer in the Sixth Class who may have broken down in health, or in operating, provided that his conduct has been satisfactory, and he is in other respects favourably reported upon as fitted to be placed in charge of a combined post-and-telegraph office.

NON-CLERICAL DIVISION.

33. When a vacancy occurs in one of the higher classes in the Non-clerical Division,—
    (1.) The Secretary or Superintendent shall select for appointment any of the senior officers of the classes below that in which the vacancy has occurred who, from seniority and suitability for the position to be filled, appear to be most suitable, and the Minister may recommend the Governor to appoint to the vacancy.

(2.) If the vacancy occurs in the lower classes of the division, the appointment to the vacancy shall be made as far as possible from within the division or from the distributors and telegraph message-boys classes.

(3.) If there are more vacancies than one to be filled, the like proceedings shall be had and taken as are hereinbefore provided.

(4.) Letter-carriers, second grade, shall have served thirteen years in the department or class before being eligible for promotion to the first grade, subject also to the officer being reported as fully competent, that his conduct in all respects is satisfactory, that his duties have been well performed, and that the promotion is merited.

Third-grade letter-carriers performing duties at Chief Post-offices shall be required to serve six years in the grade, or to have been in receipt of the maximum salary for two years, and may then be promoted to the second grade, provided they are favourably reported upon as deserving of promotion. Vacancies in the second grade shall, as far as practicable, be filled by the promotion of third-grade letter-carriers according to seniority, merit, and suitability combined.

(5.) Every officer in the Non-clerical Division shall be eligible for promotion to the Clerical Division; and every officer so promoted shall be selected without special regard to his class, but with due consideration to his seniority combined with his particular fitness for the position to be filled and to his having complied with the provisions applicable in respect of examinations in such division. Any such promoted officer who at the time of his promotion is in receipt of a higher salary than the minimum salary of the class to which he is promoted or transferred shall continue to receive the salary he may have been drawing at the time of his transfer or promotion until entitled to a further increment.

(6.) Cadettes passing the Senior Examination shall be granted one double increment.

DISTRIBUTORS.

(7.) Every distributor shall be eligible for promotion to the Non-clerical Division, and shall also have an equal claim with officers in the Non-clerical Division to cadetships in the Clerical Division, if reported as eligible in all respects, provided he has complied with all the regulations respecting examinations for the Clerical Division.

TELEGRAPH MESSAGE-BOYS.

23. Telegraph message-boys must be not less than thirteen and not more than sixteen years of age. They must have passed the Fourth Standard of a school constituted under “The Education Act, 1877,” and produce certificates in writing of sound bodily health and good moral character. An educational certificate from any reputable private school will be accepted upon proof to the satisfaction of the Secretary, or of some person appointed by him in that behalf, that the applicant has passed an examination equivalent in all respects to that required for the Fourth Standard in a public school under the control of an Education Board, in accordance with the regulations in that behalf for the time being in force thereunder. Preference may, however, be given to boys who have passed a higher examination.

Message-boys shall be eligible for promotion to any branch of the Non-clerical Division for which they may be qualified, and shall have the same claim as a non-clerical officer and distributor to a cadetship in the Clerical Division, to be determined on the result of examinations. Any boy who may pass either the Senior Examination or the Junior Civil Service Examination shall be given a prior claim to a cadetship.

Any boy who may have been in receipt of the maximum pay of his position for two years, and who cannot qualify for promotion to another class in the Non-clerical Division or for a cadetship, will be required to resign.

In the event of a greater number of such boys qualifying for promotion than the department can absorb at the time, they will be placed in a supernumerary class, and receive £5 increases yearly until the pay reaches £56, or until they can be promoted.

Every message-boy shall be entitled to a clothing-allowance of £5 after the completion of the first year’s service, if favourably reported upon by the head of his office. Application for the allowance to be made through the local office.

GENERAL.

29A. The Minister, on the production of satisfactory reasons, may allow any officer to decline offered promotion or appointment; but such officer shall forfeit his right to future promotion: Provided that the Minister after the lapse of two years may allow such officer to be considered again for promotion: Provided also that no officer shall be allowed to refuse compliance with any order of the Minister directing his removal from one position to another.

J. F. ANDREWS,
Acting-Clerk of the Executive Council.