MINUTE TO PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION 159 



over a year ago, a foundation member of this Society 

 and Director of an important scientific Division, was 

 awarded a bonus of £3,000 by Parliament, in special 

 i-ecognition of his scientific services to the country, both 

 his own staff and his fellow biologists of this Society 

 felt that in honouring him the Government had honoured 

 them. 



It may be recalled that large private corporations also 

 recognise the principle, as in the case of the recent bonus 

 to Dr. Lister in Johannesburg, and that Sir Ronald Ross 

 is leading a strong movement in Britain for direct ad- 

 mission of the custom of granting Government bonus to 



distinguished scientific workers. 



i 



Individual Grievances. 



The question of permanent machinery for redressing 

 individual grievances is, though taken last, regarded as 

 one of the most important matters with which the Com- 

 mission has to deal. It is maintained that equity of 

 treatment is of even more importance than magnitude of 

 salary, and much bitterness exists because of personal 

 grievances. The feeling is all the stronger when it is 

 recognised that all such inequities could be wiped out at 

 trifling cost, if cases could be referred to a sane tribunal 

 of impartial minds. The general contentment of a Ser- 

 vice is much afl'ected by a few known cases of injustice, 

 and it is therefore urged that the Commission should 

 recommend the establishment of a permanent body to 

 whom civil servants would be entitled to present an in- 

 dividual grievance, or a group grievance, and learn the 

 case against them. 



Such a body might well be a reorganised " Permanent 

 Public Service Commission," small in number but power- 

 ful in status, independent of departmental influence, and 

 directly responsible only to Parliament. 



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