The press SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1918. Control of the Public Service.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16209, 11 May 1918, Page 8

The press SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1918. Control of the Public Service.

Tho term of office for wJiich the Public Servico Commissioners were appointed ' having nearly expired, the question has arisen as to whether the system of control of tho Service by an independent Board should be continued, or whether wo should revert to Ministerial control. ,'lt is hardly likely that such a highly controversial subject will be dealt with while the .National Government is in power. Two Ministers of tho Crown speaking for themselves only and a few members, have, however, raised the cry that the system of control by a Board is "undemocratic," so doubtless it will come up for serious discussion, together with many other subjects, -when the war no longer demands tho wholo of our attention.

In these circumstances it is interestI ing to enquire Low those who are most affected by tho Public Service Act— namely, the Civil Servants themselves — regard the proposal to revert to Ministerial control. If we may take the "Public Service Journal" —tho official organ of the i'ublic Service Association —as a guide, it is clear that they infinitely prefer the present system, and look with something like horror afc any possibility of a return to the old plan of Ministerial control. Tho "Journal" . says that tho Public Servant of pre-Act days has not forgotten the evils which the Act was designed to cure, and he is "prepared to fight -with all his force " against tho restoration of a system " which produced them." It goes ou

to say:—

One of the greatest faults of the system was that of political patronage in the making of so-called "temporary appointments," each member of Parliament having, or claiming to have, the right to recommend to a Minister the appointment of persons to the staff of a public Depaptmpnt, the Minister, in recognition pf the prevailing practice, or as a matter of policy, giving his approval almost invariably. Thus the Service was choked with incompetents ard wasters, forced into departments regardless of whether there was work for them or not, and in some cases in spite of the opposition of the permanent hejid. It" was common knowledge that a man flight be discharged by a permanent head, or controlling officer, for inone day, only to appear next morning witli a written command by a Minister that work must be found for hi™, "which really meant that he 17111 st' be paid the ruling wage, no matter wnat he was -wortn. Thus it 'yeas that young men who entered the Service as cadets, aftir examination, were encouraged to remain in and to give the utinost of thoir effort and ability to the service of the State! The "Journal" goes on to say that to a large extent this scandalous state of affairs was hidden frqm the public eye, for no permanent officer dared open his mouth in protest or complaint for fear. pf retribution. Under tho system pf political control, promotions were often cjictated by considerations qi}ito apart from the fitness of the officer. Dealing with this subject tho "tjTournal" has the following plainspqken remarks: — Mr So-and-*So might possess every qualification for promotion to a certain vacancy, but neither ho nor any Other member pf tho Service would <]aro bet even money on his chance. If it were known that he had a strong political. pull he might find bapkers, but pnly at odds; for there was iilwijys the danger of someone else having a much stronger pull, The currying pf favour in high placo3 was elevated to a fine art, and .in the3e palmy days tho 'crawler' waxptf exceeding fat and nepotism flourished. The Civil seiTants, who are in the best position to judge, are satisfiod that the system of Ministerial control "pras an iniquitous thing, and ought not to be resurrected. It so happens that in this instance the interests of the public servants and of their employers, the public, aro identical. The report of the Hunt Commission, Jheld in 1912, shows in the most' convincing way that Ministerial' control was destructive of efficiency, and prejudicial from a public point of view. It was largely on that report that the Public Service Bill was carried through Parliament. Mr Justice Herdnian, who framed the Bill, has, wo think, every reason to be gratified with the manner in which it has stood the t-est of experience.