1204
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 53

to the Government Printer for negligence, insubordination, or other misconduct shall not receive for the following year the accrued increase of salary to which he would otherwise have been entitled under Rule 22.

33. In all cases of disrating merely, the disrated employé shall take lowest rank in the class or grade to which reduced; but upon subsequent good conduct, extending over a period of twelve months, shall be eligible for promotion in turn.

CONFIDENTIAL WORK.

34. To insure due secrecy, Ministerial statements and memoranda, Customs-tariff alterations, policy measures, and all work of a strictly confidential character shall, when practicable, be intrusted only to members of the permanent staff. Should the extent or urgency of the work, however, require a wider distribution, it shall be the duty of the overseers to confine it to as few hands as possible.

35. Any employé who may reasonably be suspected of divulging information of a confidential nature shall be suspended, and should proof be forthcoming he shall be at once dismissed by the Government Printer.

PERMANENT STAFF.

36. The permanent staff shall comprise all employés whose names shall appear in a register to be called the “Staff Register,” which shall contain a record of date of appointment, age, absences, gratuities, and any other matters that may be deemed necessary.

TEMPORARY STAFF.

37. The temporary staff of compositors shall comprise all those not included in the permanent staff, and may be employed either on piece- or time-work. Men for time-work shall, as far as practicable, be selected from the Piece-room on the ground of general proficiency.

38. Temporary hands of less than three months’ standing will be under engagement by the day, terminable without notice on either side; all others shall be subject to one week’s notice on either side.

39. Semi-permanent hands who have not been off the staff for more than two months during the preceding year shall be entitled to all gazetted Government holidays occurring while in employment. Temporary hands shall be so entitled after two months’ consecutive employment immediately preceding such holiday.

40. Employment as a temporary hand will not necessarily establish a claim to permanent employment on the ground of length of service.

41. The rates of remuneration for temporary compositors shall be those set forth in Schedule B hereto, which, however, may be altered from time to time as may be deemed expedient.

APPLICATIONS OF EMPLOYÉS, HOW TO BE MADE.

42. The application of any employé for promotion, leave of absence, increase of salary, or upon any other matter affecting his position in the department shall be made to the Government Printer by the applicant himself, by or through the head of his branch; and if it be made by or through any other person it will be treated as irregular.

APPRENTICES.

43. Applicants for employment as apprentices must not be under fourteen years of age, and must be of sound bodily health and of good character, and shall have passed an examination equal to that of the Fifth Standard under the Education Act.

44. All male apprentices shall be indentured for a period of not less than six years, and the rates of wages shall be as follow:—

45. Apprentices will be placed in the branches for which they seem best adapted. Those selected for the composing branch must be at least one year in the reading-room prior to being transferred to the composing-room; but in no case shall more than one year passed in the reading-room be reckoned as part of the period of apprenticeship.

46. Apprentices in all branches who shall have served their full term satisfactorily shall be entitled to one year’s employment at the rate of pay of temporary employés, and may thereafter form part of the temporary staff, and be entitled to the privileges of temporary hands of two years’ standing.

FEMALE EMPLOYÉS.

47. Candidates for employment must not be under fourteen years of age, and must be in sound bodily health and of good character.

48. Females will be taken for the first three months on probation, at 5s. per week. Should they prove themselves capable and industrious, they will then receive the following rates of wages as casual hands:—

After the fourth year they will be placed on pay as full hands, at wages ranging from £1 to £1 5s. per week, in accordance with nature of work and ability.

ALTERATION IN REGULATIONS.

49. All rules or regulations may, subject to the approval of the Minister, be altered or amended from time to time as occasion may require.

BY-LAWS.

50. The Government Printer shall have power, subject to the Minister’s approval, to make, alter, or amend by-laws, not being inconsistent with these rules, for the internal regulation and discipline of the department, and to inflict fines or temporarily suspend employés from duty for breach of such by-laws. All fines to be paid at once when inflicted.

SUSPENSION.

51. In cases of suspension from duty, report shall be made to the Minister of the department, with the necessary recommendation as to the confirmation or otherwise of such suspension.