1984
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 59

“76. (1.) The Controlling Officers’ Examination shall be an examination of an officer’s fitness to proceed to a position of control in the service. The questions set shall be designed to test an officer’s detailed knowledge of the duties of the branch in which he is employed and his general knowledge of the activities of the rest of the service.

“(2.) There shall be—

“(a.) A special paper (in one or more sections) dealing with the work of that branch of the service in which the officer is employed; and

“(b.) A general paper (in one or more sections), to be taken by all officers of every branch of the service, designed to test an officer’s general departmental knowledge and capacity. Overseers, chief and senior mechanics, and mechanics shall not be required to take the general paper.

“(3.) The special paper, for which a syllabus shall be prepared when necessary, shall relate to the work and duties of—

“(a.) General postal ;

“(b.) Telegraph ;

“(c.) Combined offices ;

“(d.) Accounting and money-order and savings-bank ;

“(e.) Telephone ;

“(f.) Telegraph Engineers ;

“(g.) Head Office ;

“(h.) Such other general groups as may be defined from time to time.

“(4.) The scope of the special paper shall include a thorough knowledge of—

“(a.) Post and Telegraph Act as far as it relates to the particular section of the service ;

“(b.) The rules and regulations as far as they relate to the particular section of the service ;

“(c.) Management and methods of work, including theory and practice, especially in technical matters.

“(5.) The general paper shall be designed to test an officer’s knowledge of the activities of the service outside his own branch, and shall include general questions on the work of all the main branches, as disclosed in the Post and Telegraph Guide, the various rule-books and other departmental publications ; the relations of the Department with other Departments and with the public ; the furnishing of reports ; the conducting of correspondence ; and the maintenance of discipline.

“(6.) The answers to the questions shall be fully expressed, and upon the manner in which this is done, particularly in the general paper, it shall be decided whether or not the officer’s qualifications in the English language are sufficient to enable him to hold a controlling position. The style and general composition of the replies shall be an essential factor in awarding a pass.”

Regulation 78 is hereby revoked, and the following regulation substituted therefor :—

“78. Departmental examinations, excepting those for Assistant Telegraph Engineer and Telegraph Engineer, and the Junior Examination for shorthand-writers, typists, and machinists, shall be held twice yearly. The examinations for Assistant Telegraph Engineer and Telegraph Engineer shall be held yearly. At least a month’s notice of the dates fixed for the examinations shall be given in the Post and Telegraph Official Circular. The Junior Examination for shorthand-writers, typists, and machinists shall be held as required; provided, however, that an interval of at least two months must elapse between two successive attempts at the examination for shorthand-writers, and an interval of at least one month between two successive attempts at the examination for typists or machinists. The names of officers who have passed the required standard of examination shall be entered in a record kept in the Head Office for that purpose.”

Regulation 79 is renumbered “80.”

The following additional regulation, to be numbered “79,” is hereby made :—

“79. Entries for technical examinations other than engineering examinations will be accepted irrespective of an officer’s status: Provided that an officer who is required to pass a competency examination must pass such competency examination before sitting for a Controlling Officers’ Technical Examination. Entries from officers of the Clerical Division for competency non-technical examinations will be accepted only from those who have reached the fourth subdivision of Class VII ; and for Controlling Officers’ non-technical examinations only from those who have reached the tenth subdivision of Class VII.

Regulations 80 and 81 are hereby amalgamated and numbered “81.”

Regulation 82 is hereby revoked, and the following regulation substituted therefor :—

“82. The percentage of marks required to pass any technical examination shall be 50 : for any other departmental examination, 66.”

Regulation 85 is hereby revoked, and the following regulation substituted therefor :—

“85. The following shall be the limits of age and educational qualifications required for positions in the Clerical, Engineering, and General Divisions :—

“Provided that a message-boy or message-girl may be promoted to a higher position before attaining the age fixed as the minimum for that position, and that competent tradesmen or returned soldiers may be employed without being required to comply with this regulation.”

Regulation 90 is hereby amended by adding the following :—

“Approved engineering officers desirous of obtaining a University degree in either science or engineering (electrical) may be granted leave to attend lectures at a University for a term not exceeding three years, subject to the following conditions :—

“(a.) The application for leave must be approved by the Secretary. Such approval may be cancelled at any time if the applicant’s work and behaviour are not considered to be satisfactory.

“(b.) Term reports on attendance and progress at the classes will be obtained from the professor in charge ; and if these, in the opinion of the Secretary, show that the concession is being abused, or that the student is not utilizing it to the best of his ability, then the Secretary may cancel his approval of the leave.

“(c.) The leave shall not exceed eight hours per week, and shall be on full pay.

“(d.) The Department will pay the University fees and bear the cost of necessary text-books.

“(e.) An agreement must be entered into with the Department to refund all University fees and the cost of books paid by the Department should the officer within three years after completion of his University course leave the Department for any reason whatsoever, save sickness or injury, or dismissal through no fault of his own.”

The following additional regulation is hereby made :—

“112A. A Postmaster must not absent himself from the town in which he is stationed until he has obtained the authority of the Chief Postmaster.”

Regulation 114 is hereby amended by deleting the words “excepting Chief Postmasters and Superintendents of Telegraph-offices,” and substituting therefor the words “of the Clerical Division.”

The following additional regulation is hereby made :—

“118. A record of all officers in the Department shall be kept by the Secretary, showing therein the divisions and classes in which such officers are respectively included, their length of service and salaries, and such other particulars as may be deemed necessary, and he shall from time to time cause entries to be made in such records of deaths, dismissals, resignations, promotions, and reductions. As soon as possible after the 1st day of April of each and every year the Secretary shall publish in the New Zealand Gazette a list of persons employed in the Department on that date, together with such other particulars as may be deemed necessary.”

F. D. THOMSON,
Clerk of the Executive Council

By Authority : W. A. G. SKINNER, Government Printer, Wellington.

Price, 6d.]
[1040/8/22—11549