British Dominions and Colonies

BRITISH DOMINIONS AND COLONIES In the self-governing dominions and colonies the civil service is controlled by the Government of the dominion or colony in question. In colonies not possessing responsible government the civil service is partly recruited from among local candidates, but the higher officials are appointed directly through the Colonial Office.

Canada.

Competitive examinations were made effectual for the inside service by the Civil Service Act of 1908 which created a board of commissioners; and the same principle was established for the outside service by the Act of 1918. Provision for a con tributory system of superannuation is made by the Acts of 1924 27. The Act of 1918, as amended by later legislation, contains most of the existing regulations in regard to political rights, promotion, dismissal, etc. Permanent and temporary employees of the Government of Canada numbered 39.097 in 1926. (See R. M. Dawson, The Principle of Official Independence [1922], ch. iii., "The Civil Servant," and Canada Year Book, 1926.) Commonwealth of Australia.—The Public Service Act, 1922-24, governs the situation. The Act of 1922 established a board of commissioners for the public service with extensive powers, and responsible to parliament. The Arbitration (Public Service) Act, 1920, established a public service arbitrator, hold ing office for seven years, for giving awards on claims from asso ciations of public servants; but this Act of 1920 appears to con flict in some particulars with the Act of 1922, in regard to the powers of the board, whose decisions may be varied by the public service arbitration court.

There is a system of contributions towards a superannuation fund under the Superannuation Act, 1922-24. In 1924-25 the number of civil servants in Australia, including teachers, police and railway and tramway employee:, was 216,031, of whom 2 7,3 75 were in the Commonwealth service. (See Reports of the Public Service Board of Commissioners, 1924-26, and Official Year Book of the Commonwealth, 1926.) New Zealand.—The Public Service Act 1912 places the serv ice generally under a commissioner and two assistants, appointed for seven years and responsible only to parliament. The Gov ernment railway service is an exception, and the Postal and Telegraph Act 1918 excludes those services from the authority of the commissioner, except in regard to making appointments. There are contributory superannuation funds under Acts of 1926 and 1927. Permanent officers of the State numbered about 28,00o in 1925. (See Year Book of New Zealand, 1927.) Union of South Africa.—The Public Service and Pensions Act 1923, as amended by Acts 44 of 5926 and 27 of 1927, together with regulations issued thereunder provides for the organization of the public service. There is an advisory council representing associations of public servants which gives advice to the public service commission, when asked. The commissioners have the extensive powers usual in the dominions. The staff employed in the Union Government service in 1924 was 35,505. (See Official Year Book of the Union, 19 2 5. ) Irish Free State.—The Civil Service Regulation Acts 1924 and 1926 provide for the appointment by the executive council of not more than three commissioners, and define their duties and powers, in the exercise of which the consent of the minister for finance is f requently necessary. Superannuation and pensions are regulated by the Free State Acts of 1923 and 1925, and earlier legislation.

British India.

The services are now classified as All India, Central, Provincial and Subordinate, of which the last two are recruited entirely in India and the Central services almost en tirely, leaving the All India sei vices (namely, the Indian civil service, Indian police service and Indian forest service and In dian service of engineers) with some few technical appointments as the only services for which recruitment is made in Great Britain, these also being Indianized to a considerable extent.

This "increasing association of Indians in all branches of the Administration" formed part of the policy of reforms to which the Government of India Act of 1919 gave legislative form.

Two royal commissions, the Islington commission (Cmd. 8,382, 1917) and the Lee commission (Cmd. 2,128, 1924) resulted in certain changes of organization and in a general increase in pay, leave and pensions to meet changed economic conditions. As a result of the report of the latter commission there was set up a public service commission under the central Government which was charged with certain functions in connection with recruit ment in India and with others as an advisory body on service mat ters. The conditions of service of the civil services in India are regulated by statutory rules, made under section 96B of the Gov ernment of India Act, of which the most important are reprinted annually in the India Office list of the year. (See Sir M. C. C. Seton, India [1927], ch. viii.–xii.)