GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 74, 29 March 1933, Page 6

GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMY.

The Prime Minister told the Chamber of Commerce yesterday that it was difficult to make people remember what the Government has done in the way of economy. Mr. Forbes has reason to say this. The achievement of the Government in this direction has received less recognition than is its due, and inflated estimates are put forward of what could hi saved even to-day after the pruning knife has been in use for some time. Possibly, however, if the Government was a little readier with information there would be less criticism. It would be unfair to say that Mr. Forbes is secretive, but he seems to have an imperfect appreciation of the value of publicity. Yesterday, for example, he told a deputation that the delay in the investigation of the tariff was caused by British interests not being ready. The Government has been criticised over and over again for this delay, but, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first time this explanation has been given officially. These economy measures of the Government would be better understood if the Prime Minister or the Minister of Finance issued more information and kept it up to date. For instance, the Government is criticised for over-staffing certain Departments, but the figures used are a year old. As we pointed out the other day, it is impossible to know what economies have been made in the Public Service when the latest report of the Commissioner covers the year 1931-32. What the public would like to know is how the Civil Service stands in this month of 1933.

Another point in Mr. Forbes' references to the economy campaign is worthy of note. The National Expenditure Commission, he said, had gone very exhaustively into expenditure "in the time at its disposal." In other words, the Commission did not make an absolutely complete survey of the field. Indeed, this was apparent from the report, valuable though that document is. The Commission could not possibly, in the time, have gone into every detail of Civil Service administration that required investigation, and the question is how much more remains to be reported on and reformed. It was pointed out in these columns the other day that needless duplication of Government inspection persists, to what extent no one outside the Service knows exactly. Then thero is waste in Government printing, a matter that comes before newspapers frequently. Every office is struck by the amount of work involved in compiling and printing great masses of statistics that are not really essential. When it is seen that all possibilities of economy in one direction have not been exhausted, naturally the question arises whether there are not other directions to be explored. The truth probably is that Ministers —and especially the Prime Minister and Mr. Coates —have been too busy to study the minutiae of economy, and have left too much to the departments. The work of the National Expenditure Commission should be. .continued, .by a small committee of accountants.