WIDER SCOPE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 170, 20 July 1936, Page 8

WIDER SCOPE.

UNIVERSITY WORK.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

?RESENT SERIOUS DEFECT.

The opinion that the Auckland Jniversity College should extend the ••cope of its instruction so as to include vliat is covered in the broad term "public idministration," is expressed in a report aid before the , college council this ifternoon by Mr. F. B. Stephens, M.A., 3.C0m., a lecturer at the college who ias been abroad for some months •tudying problems of public adminisration and the attitude toward them if overseas universities. The report is tivided into three parts, the first being htroductory, the second demonstrating he growing interest abroad in local ;ovcrnmental affairs, and the third iealing with suggestions as to the jroposcd developments at the college. I

The report stated that more attention vas now being focused on the administrative side of government. The extenJons in the field of government in :ecenfc years, coupled with the growing loinplexity of administration, had placed tew and heavy burdens not so much 011 'he legislators as 011 the public servants, vho had been called upon to administer lew laws. The Public Service to-day lomprised a series of highly technical irofessions. On the other 'side, there vas a growing admission that the public, "00, must be educated to co-operate and sppreciate if government was to be successful. In Great Britain, the Lrnited States ind Canada considerable efforts were ieing made to arouse interest in the ietailed operation of the governmental nachine, and the universities were to 'ho forefront in this campaign. A third actor was the growing recognition of < need for careful and detailed study of existing and proposed organisation iefore any change was attempted. l The lay of purely experimental legislation jad parsed. Part of the College. After a comprehensive review under "Jib three sectional headings, Mr. Stephens dealt with the specific part vhich might be played by the college. 2e said that the proposed work was not •illy vitally important, but also in keephg with the work of the best university ind of the most progressive local luthority, and it should be co-operative letween the university, the local authorilocal government officials and the public. He pointed out that the subject •f the working of the Dominion Government was not provided for anywhere in The New Zealand University curriculum. "Our students have no instruction, for iistance," the report added, "in the yorking of Government departments, in ?nancial control of the Treasury and the Audit Department, in the 'fields of ictivity of such bodies as municipalities, tounties, harbour boards and the like. These subjects are all matters of instruction in most universities in the world, ind their absence from the New Zealand (urriculum is a serious defect." Mr. Stephens thought that such sub fects as Budget preparation and control, iccounting ancl auditing for Governmental units, the management and control of personnel as applied to Government, administrative with central government and other local Bodies were all subjects in which instruction should be given. Other subjects ne mentioned were the principle of social planning, transport and traffic problems, the economics of public onterprise and the management of public utilities and businesses, and preparations for, and secretarial work in connection with touncil/ and committee meetings. The effort should be made to secure s course of instruction of practical value to officials and the syllabus , for the diploma of public administration should E>e redrafted to this end. He had been informed that local Government officers in New Zealand had in the past year been actively exploring the field, of "edueation for their own profession, and it seemed quite possible that in a short time they would ask the University of New Zealand to examine for a local Government diploma. Research Necessary. Before such courses could be given tonsjderable research into existing practices should he necessary. That would require close and harmonious relation between the instructor and central and local Government officials. Further, efficient work would need the practical co-operation of active Government officials, not perhaps in regular lectures, but in the explanation to students of particular problems and special techniques. Mr. Stephens added that the college 6hould aim also at giving direct service to the community in its research programmes. The investigation of the operation of local bodies might be made, contracts abroad might be maintained, statements comparing local Government administration elsewhere might be prepared; and statistical and financial data might be analysed. Many problems could be instanced on which authorities would value information, but which cither they had not the time or did not feel justified to investigate. As far as the taxpayer was concerned, important questions might be answered. He instanced the spending of taxation money or the efficiency of any particular phase of local government. Dealing with public civic education, the report suggested that, as well as public lectures at the college, the staff should be prepared to, and should try to reach the citizen through his clubs trade unions, farmers' unions, women and youth organisations, and the Churches, if necessary.