High Resignation Rate Due

P.NG Public Service Inquiry: High Resignation Rate Due to Poor Service Conditions

Over 70 resignations of field staff in the P-NG District Services and Native Affairs Dept, had occurred in the last four years—due mainly to the fact than the men found it impossible to live on the salaries paid.

THIS evidence was given by the Director of DDS & NA, Mr.

Alan A. Roberts, at an inquiry into Public Service wages and hours which began in Port Moresby on October 27.

The inquiry was before a Com monwealth Conciliation Committee, under the chairmanship of Mr. E.

Chambers.

It will later hear evidence in other parts of the Territory.

Its terms of reference are to in quire into whether salaries and all allowances paid to Territory public services are adequate in relation to living costs, special local conditions and the need to attract more re cruits; and to inquire into whether any change should be made in the spread of public service working hours. The committee is to fur nish its report by December 31 or by any later date determined by Mr.

Hasluck following the advice of the committee.

Other members of the committee are Mr. L. Butler, representing the Public Service Commissioner’s de partment, and Mr. R. B. Brennan representing the public service as sociation.

The committee was set up by the Minister for Territories, Mr. Paul Hasluck, following demands by the Public Service Association for an in crease in cost of living payments and a five-days’ week.

In opening its case, the PSA sub mitted facts and figures on general living costs in Port Moresby as at September, 1954, and stated that a man, wife and two children in the Territory needed an annual salary of not less than £1,360 to keep up a reasonable standard of life. A man and his wife alone needed £1,165.

Neither estimates allowed foi sav ings.

In speaking about resignations in his department, Mr. Roberts said that District Service officers’ salaries were inadequate. Many recruits were attracted to the life in this service but when the novelty wore off, and they realised they had re sponsibilities to their families which they could not meet on their salaries, many resigned. They could earn the same money under better conditions elsewhere.

Mr. Roberts said that field officers cost about £3,000 to train, and that 71 officers who had resigned would cost a quarter-million pounds to re place.

Evidence was given on conditions in single hostels in Port Moresby, notably those for Administration women. The Committee was-told of one of the Port Moresby hostels that had all its walls of paper, which, besides being a fire-risk, meant that girls who wanted to go to sleep early had to take sleeping drugs or use ear plugs.

Tf Frank Coleman, late of Hilalon and Belik Plantations, New Ireland, now is with Stapletons, a real estate firm at Avalon Beach, NSW> Aus tralia. He will be glad to help any Islanders requiring accommodation while on leave.

If Mrs. H. B. Burrell, of Anson Bay, Norfolk Island, recently won first prize in the NI Agricultural, and Horticultural Society’s butter mak ing contest. The prize was one year’s' subscription to PIM.