Dec. 23.]

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

132. Officers below Class II of the Clerical and Engineering Divisions are required to enter in the attendance-books the times of their arrival and departure.

133. Attendance-books shall be accessible for record and signature by officers arriving for and departing from their duty. Exact times of arrival and departure are to be recorded, and the books are to be ruled off to indicate late arrivals or absentees.

134. The place of residence of each officer must be registered in a list, and the list must be kept in a readily accessible place. Any change of residence must be notified to the branch controlling officer, who will be responsible for seeing that the names and addresses are registered.

135. No information out of the strict course of official duty shall be given, directly or indirectly, or otherwise used by an officer without the express direction or permission of the Permanent Head.

136. An officer must not remain in or return to the office after working-hours without the permission of his controlling officer. Visitors must not be allowed in any branch of the Department without the permission of the controlling officer. Permission to visit any telegraph operating-room or mail-room is not to be given to any member of the public without the authority of the Permanent Head or of any officer authorized by the Permanent Head to act on his behalf.

137. Officers will be required to perform public duty after the usual hours whenever it is necessary to bring up arrears of work or to meet any temporary pressure of business. Where found essential the staff dealing with such work, or, at the discretion of the officer in charge, the whole staff, may be retained beyond the ordinary official hours. Every officer shall, when required by the officer in charge, remain after the usual hours to complete work considered necessary to be done on the same day.

138. Each officer must confine himself to that part of the office or branch in which he is engaged, and must not visit or work in any other part unless authorized by his controlling officer.

139. Every officer shall obey promptly and with readiness all instructions that may be given to him by the officer under whose immediate control or supervision he is placed. If any officer should think that he has ground of complaint arising out of such instructions, or from any other cause whatsoever, he may report the same to the head of his branch, who shall forward such report through the proper official channel to the Permanent Head for his decision; but the officer shall nevertheless, until they are countermanded, carry out any instructions which may have been given to him.

140. Any officer who has cause to complain of the conduct of another officer or member of the public must make his complaint to the head of the branch within two days of the date on which such conduct is alleged to have occurred. Such complaint, if of a serious nature, shall be immediately forwarded to the Permanent Head.

141. The application of any officer for promotion, special leave of absence, transfer, or in respect to any other matter affecting his position in the service, shall be made by the applicant himself to the Permanent Head, through his immediate controlling officer.

142. Every letter addressed by an officer to the Permanent Head is to be forwarded by the local controlling officer within one week. If further delay is necessary for the purpose of making inquiry into any statement made therein a copy of the original letter should be retained by the controlling officer. Under no circumstances should any communication from an officer to the Permanent Head be dealt with locally and not forwarded to the General Post Office.

143. Any person in the employ of the Department who in respect of his duties addresses any communication to any person outside the Department, or directly or indirectly seeks the influence or interest of any such person or persons with a view to obtaining promotion, transfer, increase of salary, or any other advantage in the service, communicates official information to the Press or uses it otherwise than in the course of strict official duty, shall be liable to dismissal or any lesser penalty.

144. In order that officers may be able to render loyal and efficient service to the Government they must not take any active part in political affairs otherwise than by recording their votes at elections.

145. Officers are forbidden to engage in private employment without the consent of the Permanent Head.