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17 C.L.R.J OF AUSTRALIA.
of that account, and then the latter part was necessary to make a H. C. or A.
clear negative provision with respect to the Consolidated Revenue.
'That distinction was the evident raison d'étre of sec. 2 of the
Act of 1903, No. 8, providing for payments out of the Consoli-
dated Revenue, notwithstanding the prohibition in sec. 70, when-
ever the Superannuation Account has become exhausted. See
also sec. 6 of the later Act.
For these reasons I am of opinion the respondent's case has
failed, and the appeal should be allowed.
'The judgment of Gavan Durry and Ricu JJ. was read by
Gavan Durry J. We agree with our brother Isaacs J. in the
conclusion to which he has been led by an exhaustive analysis of
the legislation in New South Wales with respect to the public
service, that the compulsory retirement of an officer under the
provisions of sec. 66 (3) of the Public Service Act 1902 is not a
dispensation with the services of such officer by the Board within
the meaning of sec. 71 of the same Act, because it is the act of
the Governor that causes the retirement, and not that of the
Board. We desire to add for ourselves that, even if the act could
be regarded as the act of the Board, the officer so retired would
not have his services dispensed with within the meaning of see.
71 in view of the special provision made for such a case by sec.
67 (3).
Appeal allowed. Order appealed from dis-
charged. Both questions in the special
case answered in the negative. Judg-
ment entered for the defendant with
costs, Appellant to pay costs of the
appeal.
Solicitor, for the appellant, J. V. Tillett, Crown Solicitor for
New South Wales.
Solicitors, for the respondent, Stephen, Jaques « Stephen.
BL.
3913.
MILLER
STEPHEN.
Isaacs J
418 HIGH COURT (1913.
[HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA.]
MARKHAM > 5 5 - 5 4 . APPELLANT;
PLAINTIFE,
AND
WILLIAMS . 5 5 : i 4 2 . RESPONDENT.
DEFENDANT,
ON APPEAL FROM THE SUPREME COURT OF
NEW SOUTH WALE:
H.C. or A. Public Service of New South Wales—Right to gratuity—Person whose services are
1913. dispensed with by Public Service Board—Officer under control of Board of
en Health—Public Service Act 1902 (N.S.W.) (No. 31 of 1902), sec. 71— Sydney
SyDNey, Abattoir Act 1850 (N.S.W.) (14 Vict. No. 36), sec, 5—Noxious Trades anid
Dec. 12. Cattle-slaughtering Act 1894 (N.S.W.) (57 Vict. No. 21), sec. 16—Sydney
Abattoir and Nuisances Prevention Act 1902 (N.S. W.) (No. 37 of 1902), sec. 9.
Barton A.C.
Gata Dine By sec. 5 of the Sydney Abattoir Act 1850, the Governor was empowered
to appoint, employ, and continue in office such clerks, inspectors and other
officers and servants as might be necessary, and from time to time to remove
and dismiss such officers and servants. By sec. 16 of the Noxious Trades
and Cattle-slaughtering Act 1894 it was enacted that on the passing of the
Act the Board of Health should have the control of the Sydney Abattoir and
should be the authority for administering the Sydney Abattoir Act 1850, and
that for that purpose the powers and authorities vested by the latter Act in
the Governor should be vested in and might be exercised by the Board. By
sec, 9 of the Sydney Abattoir and Nuisances Prevention Act 1902, power was
given to the Board of Health to appoint, employ and continue in office such
clerks, inspectors, and other officers and servants as might be necessary.
'The plaintiff had been appointed by the Governor in 1877 under sec. 5 of
the Sydney Abattoir Act 1850 as a pump driver at the Sydney Abattoir, _
and was employed there until 1904, when the Board of Health purported to
dispense with his services. Since the institution of that Board the plaintift
was under the control of their officers.
17 C.L.R.] OF AUSTRALIA.
Held, that the plaintiff was not a person whose services had been dispensed H. C. or A.
with by the Public Service Board within the meaning of sec. 71 of the Public
Service Act 1902, aud therefore was not entitled to a gratuity under sub-sec.
(b) of that section.
Decision of the Supreme Court: Markham v. Williams, 13 8.R. (N.S.W.),
1, affirmed.
Apprat from the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
An action was brought in the Supreme Court by Patrick
Markham against James Leslie Williams, a nominal defendant on
behalf of the Government of New South Wales, in which the
plaintiff alleged that on and before 23rd December 1895 he was
a person permanently employed in the public service of New
South Wales, but was not a contributor to the Superannuation
Account, that he continued in such service until 23rd February
1904 when his services were dispensed with by the Publie Ser-
vice Board under the provisions of the Public Service Act 1902
and that he thereupon became entitled to the gratuity provided,
for in see. 71 (b) of that Act, and that the Government refused to
pay him that gratuity. The defendant therefore claimed the
amount of such gratuity. The defences were that the plaintiff was
not a person permanently employed in the public service before
and on 23rd December 1895, and that the services of the plaintiff
were not dispensed with by the Public Service Board.
It appeared that in 1877, pursuant to the Sydney Abattoir Act
1850, the plaintiff was appointed by the Governor as a pump
driver, and remained in that position until 1902, and thereafter
was employed as a labourer at the Sydney Abattoir; that the
Sydney Abattoir was administered under that Act and Acts
amending the same, and that since the institution of the Board
of Health the plaintiff had been under the control of the officers
of that Board. It further appeared that on 15th July 1896 the
Public Service Board graded the plaintiff as being an officer of
the public service in the general division, and classified his work,
and that on 25th February 1904 the Board of Health purported
to dispense with his services.
By consent a verdict was entered for the plaintiff, leave being
reserved to the defendant to move to set aside the verdict and
enter judgment for the defendant. The motion was heard by
1913.
~
MarkHAM
v
WiuiaMs.
H.C. or A.
1913.
Se)
Markham
v.
Wirriams.
HIGH COURT (1913,
the Full Court, who held that the plaintiff did not come under
the provisions of the Public Service Act, and that his services
were not dispensed with by the Publie Service Board, and they
therefore set aside the verdict and entered judgment for the
defendant: Markham v. Williams (1).
From that decision the plaintiff now, by special leave, appealed
to the High Court.
O'Reilly, for the appellant.
Loxton K.C. and Pickburn, for the respondent, were not called
upon.
Barton A.C.J. I think this appeal must be dismissed. There
are two things for the plaintiff to establish in order to succeed in
his claim under sec. 71 (b)—first, that he was permanently
employed in the public service, and, secondly, that his services
were dispensed with by the Public Service Board. It is perfectly
obvious, and, indeed, it was almost admitted by Mr. O'Reilly,
that the plaintiff's services were not dispensed with by the
Public Service Board. Without going into the other matter it
seems to me on that ground alone that the judgment of the
Supreme Court was obviously right, and must be affirmed.
Whether the plaintiff was permanently employed in the public
service, which it is also necessary for him to establish, is a ques-
tion we need not and do not decide. It is quite sufficient to say
that his services were not dispensed with by the Public Service
Board. Unless they were, he could not claim the gratuity pro-
vided for in the section referred to,
Isaacs J. I agree that the appeal should be dismissed. I
think that the judgment of Pring J. is correct, and I would only
add a reference to sec. 30 of the Znterpretution Act of 1897.
Gavan Durry J. I concur. I think the judgment of the
Supreme Court was quite right.
(1) 13 S.R. (N.S.W,), 1.
'