RETRENCHMENT IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13377, 19 March 1909, Page 5

RETRENCHMENT IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

4 THE GROWTH OF THE DEPARTMENTS. (special to "the press.") WELLINGTON", March 18. The principal topic among Civil servente nowadays is the changes being made by the present Government and the question of retrenchment generally. It is admitted on all hands that there has been, extravagant expenditure, and that in several departments the taxpayer has not been getting valve for his money. In the Tourist, Railway, Public Health, and Labour departments especially, the general opinion seems to b© that there is room for and Sir Joseph Word is doing the right thing in his endeavours to set the official house in order. In other cepartments, also, it is known that there qre many unnecessary and even incompetent hands that might be weeded out. The matter of political patronage, brought to a fine art during fche Seddon regime, is i eeponsible for the overgrowth of several departments, nnd the opinion seem:* to be growing that the time has now arrived' for the appointment of a Public service Board, Ti-liich would save tho country hundreds of thousands of pounds. .Some idea of the growth of various departments tlnrin" the past • ten years may be gained from figures i published to-night in the "Post."" The : figures are taken from the annual an- i propriations submitted to Parlia- i ment. I t. Number of : Departments. Officers. ' 181S- 1903-; „ 1599. 1009. He-use of Representatives . 3 8 i Same {general) .. .. .. 2 L > 3.1 I Minsters' secretaries .. .■>.'. "9 x\ ' Messengers. crFce .. 33 gj ' K?cetoral Deportment .. <--a si j .Wilt Office .. .. 24 S3 Registrar-General's Department 12 23 ' High Commissioner's Department 0 Is Printing Office .. .. .. ojj 47s Treasury Department "3.1 co I Friei-dlv Societies , Office .. 3 91 and Income Ta.v .. -o I Justice and Patent Office .'. ~9 ]3 j Crown Law .. .. .. 3 | j Supreme Csurt .. .. 21 CO 1 Bankruptcy . .. .. 0 9; Magistrates" Courts, etc. .. 14' i 182 1 Xative Land Court .. ;ii- n i I Variation Titles (Maori! Councils J 2 | Prisons .. .. .. li! 1.1 1 Industrie? and Commerce .. 1 l<l ' P.,rt ar.d Tolejrraph .. .. IG.V2 377-2 Cu«tnm» .. .. . 1!7 -210 : M".r;ce and Harbours .. .. 31j .1 !J .-.•amp Department .. .. 21 Ti7 ! t .ir.d« end Deed- .. .. 1C C 3 ' Ktiueation (head rfh.-c) .. .. 0 17 Lunacy nnd CiisritaHo Aid .. HO". 5!-a Oepartmeut of Lab.air .. .. O.U 75 ll'ncs Department .. .. 2'p -2:! .. .. .. 2 Si Ae.-jcultnre .. .. .. 11) tor. 1 Working Railways .. .. 45£5 &■? -G TabHc BuiWiij-s .. .. 3 51 , Defence (head* .. .. ."> 20 >j;!itia. Volunteer? ?nd Caciets .. 331 3"2 «to:M and llscezines .. .. '2! :U ■ P;!ico Department .. .. SO.l Sll Lf.ids and Survey .. .. 2i~ 3T.i r '.!uati?ti Dep J f"-™?nt .. .. •»•> I*l Tuhlic Trust .. .. .. 44 as fir.vorr.mont Life Irsu.-nnce .. m HI Ailvcr.ce? (0 ?etllcf< .. .. '22 :13 ftat? Forests Branch .. .. .1 1C , Kctorua >nrw Tourist Department) U ■!'■ * Olrt Ape Pensions .. ' .. — -■> ttcvernment Domains .■ .. — « ' Maori Land Administration .. — lo ' Gco'ogica! Survey .. .. — lfi , : Domrijon Anjiys'.s Branch -- — 8 ■ La«- Draft::.? Ofiice .. .. — •"• ; Inspection ot .. — 3£ , Public H*alt;i Departtrie-it .. — 126 i ?tate Coal llir.es Department .. — h , 3cei!ery Preservation .. •• - j State Kire In.~v.ranc" . •■ — 33 j G'oremment Advance* to Workers — " i Another table published in the ■ 1 "Post" shows what t'he increase means j 1

Ito the country in salaries only. It should be explained that the figures given below refer only to the salaries of permanent officers, and take no account of the money required annually for extra assistance to meet exceptional domands in Parliament:— Amount Department. of Salaries. £ £ Lpgisl&tive Council .. 1.870 2.095 Hcnsc of Representatives 1,]20 1.830 ! Hansard ' .. .. 3,833 4,93.T i Messengers.' etc. .. 4.303 8.300 • ] Electrical Department .. 600 3.210 Audit OfHce .. .. 5,691 8.4C1 Rcgis-trnr-GemM-al's Department .. .. 3,780 6,866 High Commissioner's OfI fie* .. .. 3.2 m 4.176 , I Printir.p; ar.d Stationary.. 12,488 37,b-JJ • I Treasury Department .. 7,310 11,481 Friendly Societies' Office 630 1,565 r jund and Income Tax .. 4,035 10,572 Department Justice .. 1,745 2120 • Crown Law Office .. 2.425 2.355 ' Supreme Court .. .. 4.354 5,206 Bankruptcy .. .. 2,163 2 545 ■ Magistrate's Courts, etc... 32.218 43,620 ! Native L-nr.d Ccnrt .. 8,165 10,5(« Validation of Titles (administration) .. 830 2 fiM Prisons .. .18 291 25,332 ; Industries nnd Ccmm. .. 325 1,851 I Pest and Telejrraph .. 224,340 473.65 V J Customs .. .. 27,333 40.105 ; M-arin: and Hnrbcurs .. 16.2G5 19,524 I Stump Department .. 4.135 6.120 i Lands and Deeds .. 9,135 14 070 ; Education (Head Office).. 2,305 8^266 ! Lunafic Asylums .. 27.410 4J.612 Rctorun Cnow Tcurist) .. 935 5.257 labour Department .. 2.205 11 037 Mines .. .. .. 5.:93 6,223 Agriculture .. .. 22.610 80.479 RsiJvrnys .. 916,000 2,0"23,Ct!'J Pubic Buildings .. 625 2 537 Offence .. .. .. 1. 6 75 7.417 ..lilitia and Volunteer? .. r,!) ;96 55.9r_:i , Store , ? and .. 2.127 4.52G i Police .. .. .. 9-2 331 13£.'fi3S ; Lards and Survey .. 51.G72 82,511 j Vfl.ua'.ion Department .. 9.74? 22,901 ) State Kcrcsts Branch .. 9;0 j Public Tiixi .. .. 8.171 13,961 I GcvE.rrment Life Insur- ■ !>nce 6.035 23.273 i Advar.ois «o Settlers .. 2,631 G,CO3 ! Old A-p PrT! = icn= .. _ 4 90") D mirioi A-ialy-f«'Branch — 1420 j Survey Officers — 3 8f!0 I Law Drnfi:i)-» OtJice "35" j Iryr.fc.wn ~f Mnc-hircrv.. _ 777.. : Public Health Department _ i 7 ' 76 .-> State CVal Mines Depart-SccrT"Vr,,rrrat-,Vn " ~ \T Accidcr* I--,; ir W " _ -rVSlite Fire InviVsr-e " t Advances -.0 Workers V. Z £„ I To«riU Cl n re ° ? Cr '- r ' 7 Kot the i ,mi , Dt, lf lrt 4l nu - lU « for tho salaries" at the head office alone. In addition I there is a charge this year for £716. for ; tho salaries of over-sea agpnts, i:\A-V.} j /.'-n4', s »i Br '«" s I of district agencies I f . or f ' K ' Si ' lnnos - of officers at tlic I i<- -\rotia hot -.prings. £i'()SS for sala- ; ni's at Hotiit-ii:i Snnaturi'.tin. '•■»34'> for ; sal;:rios at tho Rotonia l l: .th« f or wapes iit Rotonm V>7K> f.'-r ! xvajifs :I l the •JJotoriin Work"" fSlOi i !»r salaries at V>'aiinanmi. otc *-7'U i tor at H i;! in l; .r spa. for ' wanes at HaiiniT hntiis •.;, 1 I—m, - I totallinc; , t b,,,it '.-.'OOO nt other '',\u-A ! ;of If. ? s,. r t!:., whnlo salaries "and j wages tot,;!l.!m over £-20.000. JSCHEAHET) lVOfilv. ; The -IW • goes o;i t« it 1,.-, s j ,to 1,0 admitted that fiurins the li>si. t.;r. yi'nn llic-ro has hot n a !,i..', expan- ■ .-:. min St:it« etiteri»H»i. and" i-. t l-o ■ {ieisoral volume of htisii.oss transactiu uy t;u-> >.a-.f Dfvartuicut.s. but even j the.,*, rart.-,. ,t ~: ronTond. •!. f a i| to ' act-ouiit ior tho cnorn-.oih ! increases which Slave tak"n ]>lace i;i tho rest of tiie various ci»»nartments nnd rhf hu-je arlclition? to the .staffs. Sir Joseph Ward st;ited ar Mart on that tho Tourist Department was to l»r. | hy another, and t-ierf- is co.xl ground for helievinu that it will hr. j merged in Railways, ar.d that the offk-o ' vacated by Mr T. J5. Donne (tho superintendent) will not he refilled. It is probable that the chief trafHc manager of Railways wiil exercise the necessary administrative control.

AN OLD COMPLAINT. During the last few years several Members of Parliament have niade it their business to protest annually against the huge sum of money, that is spent every year on the. upkeep and administration of tourist resorts. The contention has always been that the money, which comes out of the pocket of the general taxpayer, could be spent in a better way, and" in a manner thnt j was likely to benefit the bulk of the ' people of New Zealand twlio never visit f the tourist resorts, because they cannot I afford to do so , ), and not the comparaj tive handful of wealthy visitors from ! overseas. It is believed that economy is to be practised in the running of some of these lavishly-equipped resorts. DUPLICATED WORK. J It is claimed by reformers that duplication oi labour is in evidence in many I instances. For this reason it is tinderI stood that the Industries nnd Commerce ' Department is to be merged in the DeI partineiit of Agriculture, 'nnd it is very J likely that the Jlon. T. Mackenzie will be given charge. Sir Joseph Ward, at present holds the portfolio oi Agriculture, and he is obviously so overburdened that a rearrangement must take place in the near future. It is stated that the surveyor generalship, which is to bo vacated by Mr T. Humphries I (who retires on superannuation), i= not to be filled, owing to the probability oF the work of this branch of the Service being merged in the- Lands Department. It is practically certain that the, position of chief Customs expert (when Mr G. A". Shannon retire;) will I disappear. There is a possibility of I Prisons being merged in some other Dei partinent. and the Government is, it is j sialyl. ;i!-o contemplating the nninlgnj mat.ion of the three State Insurance I Departments, n scheme which should save a great deal of executive officers' salaries. THE NATIVE DEPARTMENT. Another direction in which a change will probably be effected is in connection with the Native Department. At present the Department has the control of such diverse interests as Maori land boards, which deal with the administration of native surplus lands. Maori councils, which are concerned with the conduct and cleanliness of Maori communities, and the native land court, which has to do with the investigation of titles, and so on. It is suggested that Maori land boards should come under the jurisdiction of the Lands Department, ■ seeing that the aim and object 'of the boards is to promote the general settlement of land, and as the Lands Department has already in existence a staff experienced in that work, the operation of settlement would be carried out much more efficiently than by Ihe_ principal staffs. In this connection, it may be mentioned that the difficulty of procuring the surveyors is all the while, retarding the progress of settling native lands, and it is anticipated that by bringing them under the jurisdiction of a department that can rrore easily command the services of experts, the work of settlement would be greatly expedited. There arc hundreds of thousands of acres of Maoriowned land available for settlement just so soon as the surveyor has " cut them up," and until they are subdivided by survey, they must perforce lie idle. The Maori Councils, branch of the Department will, it is- stated, naturally come under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Health. Even now, j th? councils owe a certain amount of i allegiance to that Department, and the change would not bo unreasonable. The r.ntive land courts may come under the Justice Department, with which they •»ie intimately associated. WHAT OF THE CIVIL SERVANT? All these changes, if they arc brought about in due course, will mean important changes in the personnel of the Civil Service, and Sir Joseph Ward's exposition of the policy of the Government =w ill be awaited-with unusual interest. It is unlikely that the Hon. J A. Millar will have anything further to say publicly about Railways until he completes his tour of inspection of the Canterbury and Westland sections, and until ho has received the report or the Addington Commission.